Drought Information Statement for Southeast LA and Southwest MS Valid November 9, 2023 Issued By: NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge Contact Information: sr-lix.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated Nov ,16 2023 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/lix/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for SE Louisiana and SW Mississippi Exceptional Drought remains in place across portions of South Central Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi. Drought intensity and extent D4 (Exceptional Drought): Extensive D4 drought covers all of SE LA and much Southern MS D3 (Extreme Drought): Mainly Coastal MS Recent Change in Drought Intensity Link to the latest 4-week change map for SE Louisiana and SW Mississippi One Week Drought Monitor Class Change Drought Worsened: (Yellows) Drought increased in category across the remainder of SE LA and into S MS No Change: No changes in category the week (Gray) Drought Improved: No improvement was noted this week ( Greens) Precipitation The deficit of rainfall continues to grow with each passing week. The total observed rainfall over the last 30 days only was less than an inch Much of the region is between 5% to 25% of normal. Temperature Temperatures over the last 30 days were averaging near normal or within a few degrees. Cooler temperatures allow for less moisture to evaporate from the soils. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook. Summarize conditions and impacts here Image Caption: Days 8 to 14 U.S. Hazards Outlook Valid Month DD to DD. Agricultural Impacts Summarize conditions/impacts here Image Captions: Left: CPC Calculated Soil Moisture Ranking Percentile valid April 20, 2023 Right: Crop Moisture Index by Division. Weekly value for period ending April 15, 2023 Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture continues to remain depleted across LA and Southern MS There has been significant impacts to agriculture Reduced crop yields Livestock sales Poor grazing pasture conditions Winter planting may be delayed The updated Outlook for November still has the wildfire potential remaining high. Conditions will likely continue until we have sufficient rains. Burn bans remain in effect for all of LA and S MS. Burning should be discouraged as forest fuels are dry. Fire Hazard Impacts Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast It has been nearly dry for the last 2 week. A coastal low near Texas will bring cooler temperatures and 1 to 2 inches of rain through the weekend. We may see small improvements to areas that receive higher amounts. Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage November will likely have above normal temperature through the month. However, there is some slight confidence that rainfall could be above average. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage The Monthly Drought Outlook for November has the drought conditions persisting. Categories may improve or worsen at times depending on temperatures and rainfall Summary of Impacts Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter Hydrologic Impacts Drinking water has been compromised for some communities along the Mississippi River due to salt water intrusion Recreational boating and commercial industry navigation are impacted by low water levels Agricultural Impacts Reports of poor crop conditions and decreased harvests Increased livestock sales due to lack of resources; poor grazing conditions Winter planting could be delayed and crops affected Fire Hazard Impacts A wildfire threat remains and burn bans will likely continue Mitigation Actions Some areas are encouraging water voluntary water restrictions Mandatory may become necessary Water Conservation is encouraged in drought areas Please refer to your municipality, water provider, and local Emergency Management for mitigation information Other Information Please encourage use of the CMOR (link above) to report drought impacts For Questions or comments please contact: julie.lesko@noaa.gov