Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Northeast Region for March – May 2018. Dated June 2018.
On March 2, the first of several nor'easters brought significant snowfall. Up to 40 inches of snow fell in central and eastern New York, while up to 5 inches of rain was reported in southern New England and Long Island, which caused flooding. Strong winds associated with the storm downed trees and power lines; wind gusts greater than 90 mph were reported in Massachusetts.
Introduction to the Northeast Drought Early Warning System
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for March – May 2018. Dated June 2018.
Spring precipitation was above normal in a broad swath from central California northeast into Montana. Well below normal precipitation across much of the Four Corners states; Arizona and New Mexico had their 10th driest spring.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for March – May 2018. Dated June 2018.
Temperatures varied spatially throughout the Southern Region. The western part of the region experienced above normal temperatures and the remainder of the region experienced near normal temperatures.
Exceptional Drought Continues in Southwest. Wet Monsoon Slightly Favored.
The region is still mired in severe to exceptional drought due to record-high temperatures and record-low precipitation in the winter and spring Impacts include vegetation stress, extremely low streamflow, major wildfires, increased flood risks, and national forest closures Outlook favors wetter-than-normal monsoon precipitation setting in around 6-9 JulyCURRENT CONDITIONS
The United States Northern Plains, comprising eastern Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, experienced a severe and rapidly-evolving drought during the summer of 2017. Considering the importance of agriculture for the region, a better understanding of Northern Plains droughts and how they evolve is critical for drought early warning. In the document, a timeline provides a chronology of the meteorological and hydrological conditions associated with the record and near-record-low surface soil moisture ahead of and during the 2017 growing season.
A two-page status update on drought conditions, including current conditions, impacts, and outlook, in the Midwest and Northern Plains regions for June 21, 2018.
May 2018 drought outlook for the states of California and Nevada. This two page document includes current drought conditions, a regional climate update, drought and climate outlook.
Below is a summary of the 21 May webinar, led by New Mexico State Climatologist Dave DuBois, on drought conditions, outlook, and impacts in the Southern Plains.
Drought StatusThe 15 May U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) introduced D4 “Exceptional Drought” in all Southern Plains states, indicating that the current drought is comparable to the worst 1-2 droughts in the past 100 years.
Soil moisture is a vital part of the water budget, yet an accurate depiction of this variable has been a serious challenge over the past several decades.