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The Colorado River is a major source of water for the western U.S.
A new computer modeling technique developed by NCAR scientists offers the potential to generate months-ahead summertime drought forecasts across the Western United States.

Advancing Drought Science and Preparedness Across the Nation

The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is a multi-agency partnership that coordinates drought monitoring, forecasting, planning, and information at national, tribal, state, and local levels.

Current Conditions and Outlooks

U.S. Drought Monitor Category
Value Map Hex Color % of U.S. Description
D0 - Abnormally Dry #ffff00 26.0 Abnormally Dry Abnormally Dry (D0) indicates a region that is going into or coming out of drought. 
D1 - Moderate Drought #ffcc99 9.0 Moderate Drought Moderate Drought (D1) is the first of four drought categories (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
D2 - Severe Drought #ff6600 4.1 Severe Drought Severe Drought (D2) is the second of four drought categories (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
D3 - Extreme Drought #ff0000 1.7 Extreme Drought Extreme Drought (D3) is the third of four drought categories (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
D4 - Exceptional Drought #660000 1.0 Exceptional Drought Exceptional Drought (D4) is the most intense drought category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Total Area in Drought (D1–D4) #ffffff 15.8 Total Area in Drought (D1–D4) Percent area of the 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico that is currently in drought (D1–D4), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Drought Outlook Category
Value Map Hex Color % of U.S.
Drought persists #9b634a 3.2
Drought remains but improves #ded2bc 6.6
Drought removal likely #b2ad69 6.2
Drought development likely #ffde63 0.6

News
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News & Events
A new computer modeling technique developed by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) offers the potential to generate months-ahead summertime drought forecasts across the Western United States with the capability of differentiating between dry conditions at locations just a couple of miles apart. The technique uses statistical methods and machine learning to analyze
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News & Events
Drought and its impacts vary from region to region, and a proactive approach to drought planning and resilience requires responsiveness to particular geographic and hydrologic circumstances—and close collaboration between federal, tribal, state, and local governments. Acknowledging the importance of state-specific drought information and resources, NOAA’s National Integrated Drought
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News & Events
Key Points: Greater use of soil moisture information in fire danger rating systems could lead to earlier warning of wildfire danger, and better forecasts of wildfire occurrence and size. Soil moisture data sources are increasingly available at temporal and spatial scales needed to support fire danger assessment, including in situ and remotely-sensed datasets as well as data derived from