Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for September - November 2021. Dated December 2021.

Fall temperatures were near normal across Tennessee, Mississippi, and most of Louisiana. Farther west and away from the coast, temperature anomalies progressively increased. Precipitation was above normal in many coastal and near-coastal areas, as well as central Tennessee. Elsewhere, dry conditions predominated.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for June - August 2021. Dated September 2021.

At most stations outside of Texas, summertime average temperatures were within 1 °F of normal. Most of Texas was 0-2 °F cooler than normal.  Summer 2021 was exceptionally wet across most of South Texas, parts of West Texas, and almost all of Mississippi, with many stations reporting more than double the normal monthly precipitation amounts.

Severe, extreme, or exceptional drought conditions have become increasingly common throughout the western United States over the past 20 years.  Abnormally dry conditions can lead to a wide range of negative economic impacts across a wide range of sectors that either directly or indirectly depend on weather-dependent ecosystem services. 

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for March - May 2021. Dated June 2021.

On the whole, temperatures during Spring 2021 averaged quite close to normal in the Southern Region.  Spring 2021 featured more than double the normal rainfall amounts in many parts of the Gulf Coast from South Texas to Mississippi. Most of the region received above-normal precipitation.

The development of the Southern Plains Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) was initiated in 2011 during a record-setting drought across the southern tier of the United States. From 2010–2015, drought persisted throughout parts of the region, impacting portions of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. This drought cost several billion dollars and was considered a major disaster for the region. Today, the Southern Plains region continues to face challenges brought about by drought and other extreme weather events that significantly affect communities and local economies.