The southwestern United States, comprising the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, is experiencing an historic continuing drought. In early 2020, an extreme deficit in precipitation paired with extremely high temperatures marked a low point in two decades of below-average precipitation across the region.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for December 2021–February 2022. Dated March 2022.

Above-normal temperatures were observed in mountain regions in California, Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon. Despite a wet December, high pressure-induced dry conditions during January and February created widespread below-normal conditions throughout the West. 

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin for December 2021–February 2022. Dated March 2022.

Winter temperatures were above normal for the majority of the Missouri River Basin. Precipitation was mostly below normal in the mountains and plains. The exception was eastern North Dakota with well-above-normal precipitation and snowfall. Many counties in northern Kansas and Nebraska ranked among their driest winters on record.