Heavy Rainfall Threat for Portions of Mid-Atlantic and Northeast; Heat Linger for Southeast and Expands for the West

Moisture and nearby frontal boundary will focus more showers and thunderstorms for portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast today. Rainfall could be locally heavy resulting instances of flash flooding. Meanwhile, the heat lingers for areas of the Southeast and expands across the Western U.S. the next several days. Between these areas, severe thunderstorms possible for the Plains and Midwest. Read More >

Drought Severity Classifications

		Ranges
Category	Description	Possible Impacts	Palmer Drought Index	CPC Soil Moisture Model (Percentiles)	USGS Weekly Streamflow (Percentiles)	Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI)	Objective Short and Long-term Drought Indicator Blends (Percentiles)
D0	Abnormally Dry	Going into drought: short-term dryness slowing planting, growth of crops or pastures. Coming out of drought: some lingering water deficits; pastures or crops not fully recovered	-1.0 to -1.9	21-30	21-30	-0.5 to -0.7	21-30
D1	Moderate Drought	Some damage to crops, pastures; streams, reservoirs, or wells low, some water shortages developing or imminent; voluntary water-use restrictions requested	-2.0 to -2.9	11-20	11-20	-0.8 to -1.2	11-20
D2	Severe Drought	Crop or pasture losses likely; water shortages common; water restrictions imposed	-3.0 to -3.9	6-10	6-10	-1.3 to -1.5	6-10
D3	Extreme Drought	Major crop/pasture losses; widespread water shortages or restrictions	-4.0 to -4.9	3-5	3-5	-1.6 to -1.9	3-5
D4	Exceptional Drought	Exceptional and widespread crop/pasture losses; shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells creating water emergencies	-5.0 or less	0-2	0-2	-2.0 or less	0-2

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Heavy Rainfall Threat for Portions of Mid-Atlantic and Northeast; Heat Linger for Southeast and Expands for the West

Drought Classifications