Expansive dry air to intensify drought across central, eastern US
A large and strong area of high pressure will keep much of the central and eastern U.S. dry into mid-October, worsening drought, lowering river levels, raising wildfire risk, and bringing wide temperature swings.
This drone video captured fall foliage beginning to emerge in Brighton, Vermont, on Sept. 17 with the beginning of autumn just days away.
Dry air is once again expanding over the central and eastern United States and will even reach into the Southeast in the wake of rain from Tropical Storm Imelda.
"A dominating area of high pressure will keep a large swath of the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic largely dry through the first week or two of October," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said.
The dry stretch will benefit outdoor activities, construction projects, fall festivities and harvesting operations, but it will also create some issues.
"Gardeners, farmers and homeowners are going to be happy that they received some rain last week, because the outlook for the next week plus is not looking good," Deger said. "Watering needs, which decreased briefly after last week’s rain, will increase again this week."
Weeks of little or no rain from August to much of September have already resulted in an extensive area of abnormally dry to extreme drought conditions, according to the United States Drought Monitor.
While the recent rain may have briefly helped drought conditions in the short term, the impending stretch of dryness will likely cause drought to expand and intensify.
The rain from last week has given a slight boost in water levels along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Both rivers are heavily used to transport goods, grain, and other materials. However, with the new extended period of little or no rain setting up, water levels will again drop to critically low levels, negatively impacting tug and barge operations.
Many small streams and agricultural ponds in the Central and Eastern states are drying up as groundwater levels plummet in some locations, which can affect well water systems. Unless the pattern changes, some communities may be facing drought restrictions in the coming weeks.
As the landscape dries, large swings in temperature from day to night are expected. The mornings can be chilly, with frost and even freezes in store for some northern-tier states by midweek.
Daytime temperatures will rise quickly during the midday and afternoon, reaching near-summer levels without the high humidity. A quick cooldown will occur in the evenings.
As the dry pattern persists, the combination of low humidity, dry brush, and fallen leaves will increase the wildfire risk across much of the eastern U.S.
The only exception may be the Southeast, where moisture from the Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean may linger this week and rebound into next week.
Areas from the southwest Atlantic to the Gulf and western Caribbean will be monitored by AccuWeather's team of hurricane experts for budding tropical activity in the wake of Imelda and Humberto during October.
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