Crop Moisture Index (CMI)
National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Prediction Center (CPC)
The CMI gives the short-term or current status of purely agricultural drought or moisture surplus and can change rapidly from week to week. The CMI indicate general conditions and not local variations caused by isolated rain. Calculation of the CMI are made for 350 climatic divisions in the United States and Puerto Rico. Input to the calculations include the weekly precipitation total and average temperature, division constants (water capacity of the soil, etc.) and previous history of the indices. The CMI can be used to measure the status of dryness or wetness affecting warm season crops and field activities.
Crop Moisture Index data were available via indices text files. Text files are available by National Weather Service regions across the contiguous United States (CONUS). Regional text files were ingested, combined, and spatialized to display the Crop Moisture Index data for CONUS.
| Value | Map Hex Color | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Severely Dry | #ffa800 | Severely Dry (-3.0 or less) The Crop Moisture Index is between -3.0 or less, indicating severely dry conditions. |
| Excessively Dry | #ffd27e | Excessively Dry (-2.0 to -2.9) The Crop Moisture Index is between -2.0 to -2.9, indicating excessively dry conditions. |
| Abnormally Dry | #ffffbd | Abnormally Dry (-1.0 to -1.9) The Crop Moisture Index is between -1.0 to -1.9, indicating abnormally dry conditions. |
| Slightly Dry / Favorably Moist | #fff | Slightly Dry / Favorably Moist (-0.9 to +0.9) The Crop Moisture Index is between -0.9 to 0.9, indicating slightly dry to favorably moist conditions. |
| Value | Map Hex Color | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abnormally Moist | #e9ffbb | Abnormally Moist (1.0 to 1.9) The Crop Moisture Index is between 1.0 to 1.9, indicating abnormally moist conditions. |
| Wet | #a9ff00 | Wet (2.0 to 3.0) The Crop Moisture Index is between 2.0 to 3.0, indicating wet conditions. |
| Excessively Wet | #076900 | Excessively Wet (3.0 and above) The Crop Moisture Index is 3.0 or greater, indicating excessively wet conditions. |
| Missing / Incomplete | #000 | Missing / Incomplete This climate division has missing or incomplete data. |
Crop Moisture Index data were available via indices text files. Text files are available by National Weather Service regions across the contiguous United States (CONUS). Regional text files were ingested, combined, and spatialized to display the Crop Moisture Index data for CONUS.
How to
What can I do with these data?
- Check weekly measurement of short-term needs vs. available water (dry to wet)
How do I use the site?
- Data Tables: Select a Region to view weekly data. Archived data are located under the “Archives” section.
- Crop Moisture Index Map: depiects short-term (up to 4 weeks) abnormal dryness or wetness affecting agriculture.
Access
Data Tables: home page for the Palmer Drought Severity and Crop Moisture Indices.
Crop Moisture Index map: depicts short-term (up to 4 weeks) abnormal dryness or wetness affecting agriculture. Map updates weekly.
