Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)

Hawai'i’s islands are mountainous, which drives steep climate gradients from reef to ridge on a single island. The topography of the largest islands and exposure to the northeast tradewinds creates cooler and wetter conditions on the North and East windward sides of the island and drier warmer conditions on the South and West (leeward sides of the islands). That diversity of climate types can

Purpose and ScopeThe report, Facing Future Droughts: Lessons from the Southeast’s 2023 Fall Flash Drought, was developed to improve the monitoring, communication, and response to drought in the Southeastern United States, with a specific focus on flash drought. The 2019 flash drought exposed critical gaps in early warning and monitoring systems, sparking conversations that continued

In March 2020, Moderate to Severe Drought (D1-D2) intensified rapidly to Exceptional Drought (D4) along the lower Rio Grande in Texas, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Over the next five years, drought severity waxed and waned across the Southern Plains, shifting location and extent but never leaving the region. Drought touched the lives of nearly every resident of the region.NOAA's

On December 15–19, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) is hosting its annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year, the meeting will focus on the theme, “Where Science Connects Us.” NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and partners are excited to present on NIDIS-supported drought research and applications at AGU. This includes a review of climate

The Mississippi River provides drinking water for millions of Americans, supports hundreds of fish and bird species, and is one of the world’s most important commercial waterways, with an extensive transportation network moving food and other goods across the nation and the world. When drought occurs in the Mississippi River Basin, it can have devastating impacts. Actionable, user-

Weather forecasts struggle to predict how much snow will stick around, or how quickly it will melt away. Scientists are addressing this challenge by improving how climate models simulate snow, a crucial step to better predict droughts and water availability in the Western U.S. In a new Journal of Hydrometeorology study, a group of researchers from the National Science Foundation's National Center

Next week, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) is hosting its 105th annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.This year, the meeting will focus on the theme, "Towards a Thriving Planet: Charting the Course Across Scales." The theme focuses on providing “actionable science for society-at-large to chart a future course for a more hopeful and thriving planet” in the context of global

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), a research institute sponsored jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Colorado Boulder, recently awarded bronze medals for superior performance to eight team members from NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). These medals reaffirm the successful