The PNW DEWS Strategic Plan outlines priority tasks and activities to build drought early warning capacity and resilience. Partners from across the PNW met in Portland, OR in October 2019 to discuss progress made since the 2017-2018 strategic plan and next steps. Discussions acknowledged the progress made to better communicate and collaborate in preparing for and responding to drought, and led participants to ask how the DEWS might further facilitate not only information delivery but also action to reduce the impacts of drought.

This drought and climate outlook was originally sent via email to the Pacific Northwest DEWS email list.

Climate Recap and Current Conditions

Nicholas Bond, Office of the Washington State Climatologist

Two-page report on July 2018 Pacific Northwest U.S. drought conditions, impacts, and outlook and wildfires.

Two-page report on September 2018 Pacific Northwest U.S. drought conditions, impacts, and outlook and wildfires.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for June – August 2020.  Dated September 2020.

Summer temperatures were well above normal in California, Nevada, the Four Corners and Wyoming. Pacific Northwest and Montana temperatures were near normal or above normal with a few small pockets below normal. Large areas of the West observed a drier than normal summer with southeast California into Arizona being the driest. This is the second year in a row with “missing” monsoon rains.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for September – November 2019.  Dated December 2019.

Autumn temperatures were well below normal across the northern tier of the region while near to above normal temperatures were observed across California and the Southwest.  Several areas of the West reported below normal autumn precipitation including northern California, eastern Utah, and western Colorado. Montana, northern Wyoming, northwestern Utah, and the Southwest reported above normal precipitation.