Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for December 2019 – February 2020.  Dated March 2020.

Winter temperatures were above normal for much of the West. Near to below normal temperatures were observed in the Central Rockies states.  ​Scattered areas across the northern tier of the West reported above normal precipitation due to an active, poleward shifted storm track. In contrast, western Oregon and the Southwest observed near-to-below normal precipitation, due to persistent ridging during January and February.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for March – May 2020.  Dated June 2020.

Temperatures were above average during spring 2020 throughout much of the West. Widespread drier-than-normal conditions occurred in spring though some regions experienced wetter than normal months.

While there is a strong connection between drought and wildfire in the western United States, how drought influences the post-wildfire environment is less well-understood, especially at shorter (1-3 year) timescales. The hazards posed by post-fire flooding and debris flows in burned landscapes depends on burn severity, underlying geology and topography, and vegetation recovery following the fire.