DROUGHT

Shortly after the abnormally and in some cases record-breaking wet start, the spigot shut off.

This week in Forecasting Change, we look at the prolonged "megadrought" in the West.

While there has been gloomy and wet weather more often than not in Central Florida over the last six weeks or so, the moisture hasn’t amounted to much.

Fed by rain and snowmelt from mountains, this valley nestled among northwestern Afghanistan’s jagged peaks was once fertile

Winter does impact the Sunshine State and while it may not be with ice and snow, it is with storms and drought.

This massive wall of flames from the Caldor Fire was captured by a firefighter at the Reno Fire Department as crews battle to protect a structure in South Lake Tahoe, California, on Aug. 30.

Just this week, a major Southern California water agency declared a water supply alert for the first time in seven years, and is asking residents to voluntarily conserve. Many of the state’s counties are already under a state of drought emergency.

Drought conditions gripping the western U.S. have driven down levels in water resources across the West.

Winter Springs city council set to discuss taking action amid concerns of a water shortage.

The family and representatives of Black men slain by the police met with senators and White House officials Thursday — and left optimistic that police reform could be approved by May 25, the anniversary of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Following a joint congressional address Wednesday night in which President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve reform by May 25, the families and their representatives met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Thursday’s update to the drought monitor from the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed more improvements in Central Florida.

In April, we have had only two days of rain in Orlando.

Strong storms rolled through central Florida early Sunday through part of the afternoon. Light to moderate rainfall continued through the evening, but how much of a dent did it make in the rain deficit?

A series of storms will ride down the West Coast of the U.S. bringing lower elevation rain and heavy mountain snow to California. An atmospheric river (narrow green stripe) will set up on the West Coast of the U.S. by the middle of the week producing heavy rain and mountain snow for much of California. An atmospheric river is a narrow flowing column of moisture responsible for producing significant rain and/or snow. These are most common along the West Coast of the U.S. with developing Pacific storms. West Coast StormAn upper-level low sliding down the California coast will induce the atmospheric river allowing for continuous heavy rain and snow for days.

Orlando, FLA. – With a strong La Nina in play across the globe, it’s no surprise that our lawns are extra crunchy this winter. Colder, drier than normal weather has been the trend since the beginning of December with a steady stream of cold fronts sweeping through the area. Although these fronts have ushered in plenty of chilly air this season, they rarely packed much rain. The lack of rain puts many areas on track for one of the driest winters on record. Winter Central FL RankingRainfall Rankings: (Rainfall totals since December 1st)Daytona Beach: 0.69″ (-3.6″ below average) 3rd Driest WinterMelbourne: 0.95″ (-3.0″ below average) 3rd Driest WinterOrlando: 1.26″ (-0.2″ below average)Sanford: 0.64″ (-3.6″ below average) 3rd Driest WinterAs of today, we remain drought-free for the majority of Central Florida.

The combination of record-breaking wildfire and hurricane seasons to intense severe weather events led to 22 billion-dollar disasters across the country, the most on record. Map of approximate location of 2020's Billion-Dollar Disasters. A record shattering 22 billion-dollar disasters occurred in 2020. Top 5 billion-dollar disasters of 2020. The average annual billion-dollar disasters from 1980-2020 is 7.

When talking about winter in Florida, it’s not so much about the cold and snow, but the impact it may have on the dry season. Typically in Florida, during a La Nina winter, the season is warmer and drier than normal. For an in-depth look at what La Nina is and how it typically impacts us in Central Florida, click here. La Nina influence is reflected on NOAA’s winter outlook that was released Thursday. Winter forecast from NOAA 2020-2021NOAA’s forecast gives a very high probability of the upcoming winter being drier and warmer than normal.

By the end of September, the United States had been hit with a total of 16 natural disasters that have each caused over $1 billion worth of damage. 2020 top three costliest weather events:Hurricane Laura: $14 billion Midwest severe weather derecho: $7.5 billion Hurricane Isaias: $4.5 billionSo far, the United States has seen over $46 billion worth of damage from these natural disasters. There has been a mention that Delta could be added to the list of billion-dollar weather events in the upcoming weeks. Trend Showing the Billion-Dollar Disaster Events in the past 20 yearsIn the past 20 years, there has been a steady upward trend in these damaging weather events. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, 2020 is the sixth consecutive year in which 10 or more billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events have impacted the United States.

ORLANDO, Fla. As you may imagine with the recent heavy rain, all of Central Florida and most of the Sunshine State are officially no longer in a drought. All of Central Florida is no longer in a drought as highlighted by the drought monitor released every Thursday by the United States Department of Agriculture. Every climate site in Central Florida has seen above-normal rain through the first 10 days of the month. Orlando remains below normal for the year, but recent rain has busted the drought across Central Florida. The moderate drought category, which none of Central Florida was in last week, dropped to less than one percent statewide.

ORLANDO, Fla. The wet season has begun and that has provided a lot of Central Florida with much-needed rain. The drought monitor takes into account rain that has fallen through this past Tuesday and therefore does not include the heavy rain of Thursday morning. Significant improvements have occurred to the drought situation across Central Florida over the past week. As of the latest drought monitor released by the United States Department of Agriculture Thursday, most of Central Florida has been removed from drought status. Melbourne is now the only official reporting site in Central Florida that has seen higher than normal rainfall.

6/21: Pope Francis takes on the mob; Why are coffee prices rising? Pope Francis takes on the mob and brands its members an example of "the adoration of evil"; and, Drought in Latin American and the Caribbean is causing the price of coffee to rise worldwide.