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A barge on the Mississippi River, low water levels on the Mississippi, and bald eagles resting on a branch in the river. Photo credits: Justin Wilkens (first two photos) and Thomas O'Neil (third photo), Shutterstock.
NIDIS Launches Mississippi River Dashboard to Support Drought Resilience Across the Basin
Published on

Actionable, user-friendly, and reliable information is essential for risk-informed decision-making across the Mississippi River Basin. In response to impacts of drought in the region, NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) built a Mississippi River Basin Drought and Water Dashboard. 

Forest fire near Interlaken, Twin Lakes, Colorado. Photo credit: David W Shaw, Adobe Stock.
Updated 9/5: Summer 2025 Drought and Wildfire in 10 Maps
Published on

This summer, hot and dry conditions are already driving large wildfires in the Western U.S. Check out the 10 maps below to better understand the conditions underlying current large fires and what’s forecast for fire and drought in the coming months.

Dry, cracked earth from long-term drought alongside a photo of flooding in the Texas Hill Country. Photo credit: Heidi (left image) and Brigitte Thompson (left image), Adobe Stock.
From Dust to Deluge: Weather Whiplash Devastates Texas
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Weather whiplash is the abrupt and intense change from one extreme weather condition to another, such as dramatic temperature swings from hot to cold, heavy snowfall to rapid melt, and as is common in Texas, a period of prolonged drought followed by flooding. 

U.S. Gridded Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) from nClimGrid-Daily

The US Gridded Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is derived from the nClimGrid-Daily dataset and and includes timescales of 1, 2, and 3 weeks, as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months.

Data Coverage
Contiguous U.S.
Period of Record
1951 – Present
File Format
text (ascii)
csv
netcdf-4
Data Type
Land-based Station
Summer 2025 Drought and Fire Outlook Webinar for the Great Plains
Wildfire burning among trees, with a red sky.
Event Date
June 5, 2025

As of June 3, 38.8% of the Missouri River Basin and 25% of the Southern Plains are in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predicts that drought will develop this summer from North Dakota through Nebraska and persist across large parts of the Missouri River Basin states. Kansas, Oklahoma, and northern Texas could see short-term drought improvement, but long-term drought impacts may remain.

Southwest Drought and Wildfire Summer Outlook Webinar
Wildfire burning among trees, with a red sky.
Event Date
June 3, 2025

Drought has expanded and intensified in much of the southwestern U.S. since the start of the water year (October 1, 2024). This summer’s outlook for warmer-than-normal conditions could intensify drought and wildfire conditions, but the monsoon may provide some potential for relief. Join the Southwest Drought and Wildfire Summer Outlook Webinar to get an update on the drought and outlook, as well as a look at the upcoming monsoon and wildland fire season.

Water Deficit Trends Tool

The High Plains Regional Climate Center’s Water Deficit Trends tool provides information on long-term changes in precipitation across the country.

Data Coverage
Puerto Rico
United States
USVI/USAPI
Period of Record
Current Conditions
File Format
images
pdf
csv
Data Type
Land-based Station
Wind blows snow off of steep, snow-covered peaks in the eastern Sierra Nevada.
Improving Drought Predictions by Tackling Challenges in Simulating Snow
Published on

Weather forecasts struggle to predict how much snow will stick around, or how quickly it will melt away. Scientists, supported by the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) are addressing this challenge by improving how climate models simulate snow, a crucial step to better predict droughts and water availability in the Western U.S. 

A speaker gives a talk at a conference to a crowd of people.
NIDIS to Lead AMS Sessions on Drought Prediction, Drought Risk Communication
Published on

Next week, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) is hosting its 105th annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.This year, the meeting will focus on the theme, "Towards a Thriving Planet: Charting the Course Across Scales." NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is excited to co-chair two sessions during this year’s meeting: Advancements in Analysis and Prediction of Drought and Advances in Communicating the Risk of Drought and Cascading Hazards. 

U.S. Drought Monitor change map, showing the change in drought conditions from the beginning to the end of 2024.
2024 in Review: A Look Back at Drought Across the United States in 12 Maps
Published on

After a warm, dry October, drought reached a nationwide record this year. Ohio and West Virginia saw their most area in Extreme and Exceptional Drought (D3-D4) since the U.S. Drought Monitor began in 2000. Far West Texas, southern New Mexico, and the Northern Rockies remained in persistent drought throughout the year. Meanwhile, areas of the West in long-term drought, including parts of the Southwest, saw some improvement in spring. 

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