Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for December 2019 – February 2020.  Dated March 2020.

Winter temperatures were above normal for much of the region with the west experiencing smaller departures from normal due to a cooler February.  Winter precipitation varied spatially across the region with wetter than normal conditions in the north and east and drier than normal conditions in parts of the west and south.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for September – November 2019.  Dated December 2019.

Fall temperatures as a whole were near normal, but there were two distinct regimes. Record warmth was experienced from September through early October while the end of October through November were much cooler than normal. Precipitation behaved in a similar fashion, with several stations experiencing their driest September on record followed by their wettest October on record.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for June – August 2019.  Dated September 2019.

Summer temperatures were near normal for much of the region. Below-normal temperatures were reported in the northern part of the region, while above-normal temperatures were reported in the southern and western parts of the region. Summer precipitation was above normal across much of the Southern Region with the exception of much of Texas and western Oklahoma. 

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for March – May 2019.  Dated June 2019.

Spring temperatures exhibited a west-to-east pattern across the region in general, with above normal temperatures in the east and normal to slightly below normal temperatures in the western states.  Spring precipitation was primarily above normal across the Southern Region.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for December 2018 – February 2019.  Dated March 2019.

Winter temperatures exhibited a west-to-east pattern across the region in general, with above normal temperatures in the east and normal to slightly below normal temperatures in the western states. Winter precipitation also exhibited a west-to-east pattern, with drier than normal conditions in the west and wetter than normal conditions in the east.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for March – May 2020.  Dated June 2020.

After a warm March, temperatures were cooler in April and May. This created a north-to-south pattern with below-normal temperatures in the north and above-normal temperatures in the south. Precipitation was primarily above normal. Parts of every state received precipitation 150 percent or more of normal, with the western part of the region drying out as the spring progressed.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for September – November 2018.  Dated December 2018. 

Temperatures exhibited a west-to-east pattern, with cooler-than-normal temperatures in the west and warmer-than-normal temperatures in the east. Most of the region received above-normal precipitation with the exception of northeastern Oklahoma, northwestern Arkansas, and far western Texas.

Provides a definition of El Nino; the outlook for winter temperatures and precipitation; potential winter and spring impacts; and a look back at previous El Nino winters.

NOAA’s Regional Climate Services Program created these Outlooks to inform the public about climate impacts within their respective regions. Each regional report contains easy-to-understand language, and anyone can access them through the Drought Portal at https://www.drought.gov/drought/resources/reports.  

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for June – August 2018.  Dated September 2018. 

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for March – May 2018.  Dated June 2018.  

Temperatures varied spatially throughout the Southern Region. The western part of the region experienced above normal temperatures and the remainder of the region experienced near normal temperatures.