This study, published in WIREs Water, was funded by NIDIS through the FY 2022 Coping with Drought research competition. 

Learn more about this research: Developing Drought Impact Models for the Intermountain West Drought Early Warning System.

Compared to one year ago, the area in drought in the western U.S. shrank from 89% to 73%, while the area in Exceptional Drought (D4) dropped from 25% to 7%. Spring storms in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies removed drought in parts of those regions. A robust summer monsoon has improved drought in parts of the Southwest, especially western New Mexico. The Southwest, California, and even parts of the Northwest have been stuck in a 20+ year megadrought, influenced by climate change.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin for March–May 2022. Dated June 2022.

Temperatures were below normal for the majority of the Missouri River Basin. The greatest departures were in North Dakota and northwestern Wyoming. Precipitation was well above normal in North Dakota and near normal over the Rockies and eastern Kansas. Over southwestern South Dakota, western Kansas, and eastern Colorado, precipitation was well below normal this spring.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for March–May 2022. Dated June 2022.

Temperatures were below average across the Pacific Northwest, northern California, and the northern Great Basin. Dry conditions persisted across the Southwest with record low spring precipitation in parts of Nevada, California, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.