[Excerpt from the April 30th U.S. Drought Monitor]

An active weather pattern maintained historically low drought coverage across the contiguous United States, with only a few areas currently experiencing dryness (D0) or moderate to severe drought (D1 to D2). Prior to April 2019, the record-low drought coverage across the Lower 48 States during the 20-year history of the U.S. Drought Monitor stood at 4.52% on May 23, 2017. During the drought-monitoring period ending on the morning of April 30, locally significant precipitation fell in dryness- and drought-affected areas across the Rockies, Intermountain West, northern Plains, and parts of the South. In contrast, little or no precipitation fell in the Far West and the southern Atlantic region.

The percentage of cattle, corn, and hay in drought continues to remain low at 1% cattle, 1% hay, and no corn areas considered in drought.

[Excerpt from the April 23rd U.S. Drought Monitor]

Severe weather and substantial rainfall were observed in parts of the Southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, Southeast, and mid-Atlantic during April 17-19. Moderate to heavy precipitation (1.5-4 inches) also occurred over the western Great Lakes region, Tennessee and central Ohio Valleys, parts of New England, and northwestern Washington. Light to moderate precipitation (0.5-2 inches) was widespread in the Northwest, eastern Great Basin, northern and southern thirds of the Rockies, northern Plains, and the eastern third of the Nation. Only portions of the Southwest, central Rockies and Plains, and western Corn Belt saw little or no precipitation. Weekly temperatures averaged above-normal for much of the contiguous U.S. 

With near- to record wetness in many parts of the country this winter and in 2018, the April 16 USDM had the lowest percent of area in drought (D1-D4) for the lower 48 States (3.73%) and all 50 States (3.78%) since the inception of the U.S. Drought Monitor in 2000, surpassing the previous low drought standard of May 23, 2017. In fact, no dryness/drought (D0-D4) in both the lower 48 (85.88%) and all 50 States (87.06%) also set record low values last week. With more wet weather over D0-D2 areas this week, new USDM record lows will most-likely be set.

The percentage of cattle, corn, and hay in drought continues to remain low at 1% cattle, 1% hay, and no corn areas considered in drought.

Two rapidly-moving strong storm systems brought severe weather and widespread precipitation to a good portion of the country.  Widespread rainfall and snow fell across Idaho, Montana, northeastern Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. South Dakota observed very heavy snow of over 2ft. in some places. Moderate to heavy snows also blanketed Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Michigan, and northern Illinois. In the Plains, moderate to heavy rains (1-3 inches) were measured in portion of Oklahoma and Texas, which then moved into the lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys. 

Very little precipitation fell on most of the Southwest.  For the Plain: the southern, central, and extreme northern Plains saw very little precipitation. Temperatures were mostly below-normal in the western two-thirds of the U.S., especially in the northern Plains and upper Midwest (6 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit below normal), and above-normal in the eastern third of the Nation (6 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit above normal).

For the contiguous U.S., drought decreased by about one percentage point.  There was a slight expansion of Abnormally Dry conditions in the Texas Coastal Plain, North Florida, and South Carolina.