Drought will persist over most of the western United States and could develop along the Pacific Northwest coast in October, according to a new assessment by the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. That means no relief for most of the 132 million Americans that the latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor show are living in drought-stricken areas — including the nearly 28 million in areas that are under exceptional drought, the most extreme category. California in particular has been suffering, with 100 percent of the state listed in drought and more than 58 percent listed as in exceptional drought.
There were some glimmers of hope on the drought front, though. A small part of southern Texas is likely to be removed from drought status in October, as is a chunk of southeastern Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, and parts of New England. The center also said in its monthly forecasts that the East Coast would have slightly above-normal temperatures in October, and that the West Coast and Alaska would have an even warmer month.
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