The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is pleased to share our 2020 Annual Report to provide insight into the many accomplishments of the program over the previous year and the opportunities that lie ahead. The year 2020 was exceptionally difficult for people worldwide, as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the globe and altered almost every facet of daily life. Not only was 2020 a significant drought year for the United States, it also brought record-breaking heat and devastating wildfires. 

The 2021–2025 Intermountain West Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) Strategic Action Plan was developed following a series of stakeholder meetings held virtually in October and November 2020. Each virtual meeting was focused on one of the following sector needs: Colorado River management and issues; water management (non-Colorado River); farming and cropping; livestock; recreation and tourism; and forestry, ecology, and fire management. Attendees were asked about how drought impacted their lives, their jobs, and their businesses.

Using the state-of-science and the collective expertise of the NOAA Drought Task Force, this report addresses three questions about the period of below normal rain, snow, runoff, and soil moisture, known as the 2020-21 U.S. Southwest drought: (1) How bad is it? (2) What caused it? And (3) When will it end?

Droughts are often thought of as slow-moving natural hazards. However, some serious droughts occur with such rapid onset that it seems as if they appear in a “flash,” rendering them and their consequences hard to predict and prepare for. These flash droughts can have substantial agricultural and economic consequences, including billions of dollars in losses.

This executive summary provides a brief overview of the National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring Network (NCSMMN) Strategy.

The National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring Network (NCSMMN) is a collaborative effort among federal agencies, soil moisture scientists, state mesonet operators, and others to plan for and support nationally-coordinated soil moisture monitoring, data assimilation, and product development.  As a key milestone of this effort, and in direct response to the requirement in the NIDIS Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L.

The development of the Southern Plains Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) was initiated in 2011 during a record-setting drought across the southern tier of the United States. From 2010–2015, drought persisted throughout parts of the region, impacting portions of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. This drought cost several billion dollars and was considered a major disaster for the region. Today, the Southern Plains region continues to face challenges brought about by drought and other extreme weather events that significantly affect communities and local economies.

In partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and in coordination with other agency programs, the NOAA Climate Program Office’s Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections program (MAPP) works with the drought research and operational community, and NOAA Climate Test Bed to support research that advances capabilities undergirding the creation of a more drought-resilient nation.

Drought research has historically focused on the analysis of how precipitation deficits cause drought. In contrast, temperature as a drought driver has only recently drawn attention. Recent interest in temperature as a driver likely stems from observational evidence of increased land surface temperatures, more frequent heat waves, and the increasing duration of hot spells, all of which are giving a heightened perception of the land surface being “parched."

This report describes the morphology of the 2012 summer U.S. Central Great Plains drought, placing the event into a historical context, and providing a diagnosis of its proximate and underlying causes.

This work was performed as part of the NOAA Drought Task Force I organized by the NOAA Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections Program (MAPP) in partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).