Texas A&M University

In the Upper Missouri River Basin, which includes sections of Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, and the Dakotas, one of the most important reservoirs is underneath your feet. Snowpack and soil moisture form enormous natural reservoirs whose water storage can be challenging to estimate. The accuracy of these estimates, however, are critical for drought and flood preparedness. Led by NOAA’s National

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