Exceptional drought conditions covering nearly one-half the country – from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains to the upper Midwest – is expected to continue and expand, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Spring Outlook released today. NOAA notes this would represent the most significant U.S. spring drought since 2013, affecting approximately 74 million people. "The Southwest U.S., which is already experiencing widespread severe to exceptional drought, will remain the hardest hit region in the U.S., and water supply will continue to be a concern this spring in these drought-affected areas," said Mary Erickson, deputy director of the National Weather Service. NOAA says some drought improvement is likely in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, New England, and Hawaii. In terms of flood risk, NOAA forecasts limited moderate flooding and no areas with a greater than a 50 percent chance of major flooding for the first time since 2018. Widespread minor to moderate flooding is predicted across the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas while minor to isolated moderate flooding is predicted for the Lower Missouri and Lower Ohio River basins. Overall, this flood year is not expected to be severe or as prolonged as the previous two years. Read the outlook at NOAA.