Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for March–May 2023. Dated June 2023.
Spring temperatures were near normal across much of the Southern Region, with most stations averaging 1°F below to 1°F above normal. Along the Gulf Coast, temperatures at many stations were 1°F to 3°F above normal. Below-normal precipitation was common in central Oklahoma, northeastern Texas, the area north and west of San Antonio, far west Texas, eastern Tennessee, and much of Louisiana, with many stations receiving 25% to 70% of normal precipitation.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southeast Region for March–May 2023. Dated June 2023.
Temperatures were near average across much of the Southeast, with a few locations either slightly above or slightly below average. Precipitation was variable across the Southeast.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Northeast Region for March–May 2023. Dated June 2023.
The Northeast had its 19th-warmest spring at 1.1°F above normal. This spring was among the 20 warmest since 1895 for 8 of the 12 Northeast states. The Northeast saw 81% of normal spring precipitation, in the driest third of all years. This spring was among the 20 driest since 1895 for 3 of the 12 Northeast states.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Gulf of Maine Region for March–May 2023. Dated June 2023.
Spring was up to 3°C (5°F) warmer than normal. Spring precipitation ranged from 25% of normal to 125% of normal.
NOAA’s Regional Climate Services Program created these climate outlooks to inform the public about recent climate impacts within their respective regions. Each regional report contains easy-to-understand language, and anyone can access them through the Drought Portal.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Pacific Region for March–May 2023. Dated June 2023.
For the March–May period, precipitation was above-normal across much of the Hawaiian Islands and U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) including Guam, which observed its wettest March–May and May on record.
This article in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences was the result of NIDIS-supported research. Learn more about this research.
Drought is one of the costliest and deadliest climate-related disasters in the United States, necessitating public health engagement at a national level. Although drought is not typically thought of as a health hazard, the pathways to human health outcomes are prevalent and numerous. To better understand these pathways, and actions that could be taken to reduce health impacts associated with drought, NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) supported the first comprehensive assessment of drought and health.
Under Congressional direction, NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is leading an interagency team on the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) Soil Moisture and Snowpack Data Value Study.
The term “flash drought” was coined in the early 2000s to draw attention to the rapid onset or intensification of drought conditions, which can cause large, unexpected environmental and socioeconomic impacts. As a result, flash drought is a target for improved early warning capability.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Mid-Atlantic Region for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.
Most areas experienced temperatures 4–6 degrees F above normal. The southern half of the region received less than 25 percent of normal winter season snowfall, with several sites hitting records for the least snowy winter on record.