Drought conditions persisted in several areas within the United States this week. The total percent area of D1 (moderate drought) and D2 (severe drought) slightly contracted, while D0 (abnormal dryness) marginally expanded across the U.S. Over this past week, heavy precipitation occurred throughout multiple regions, including the Southwest and inland Southeast, which induced some drought relief. Conversely, minimal precipitation fell in the Northwest, resulting in increased dryness-related effects, such as a poor...