The Mississippi River is an extensive ecological and commercial transportation network that helps make U.S. exports competitive worldwide. When drought conditions exist along the Mississippi River corridor, the impacts are global, affecting livestock production and food prices. The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S.
Fact Sheet Updated November 2021
In 2011, the Missouri River Basin experienced devastating flooding, which caused significant property loss and disrupted thousands of lives. In 2012, the basin experienced extreme drought that impacted water supplies and downstream navigation. Historically, the climate of this region shows a general tendency for both very wet and very dry months in a given year.
This assessment is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) response to a request by the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) for an evaluation of the causes, predictability, and historical context of the 2017 United States Northern Great Plains drought. This assessment was led by a team of weather and climate experts from NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory’s Physical Sciences Division and its Cooperative Institute located at the University of Colorado Boulder.
The 2017 drought was a rapid-onset event for northeast Montana, the Dakotas, and the Canadian Prairies during the spring and summer of 2017. It was the worst drought to impact the U.S. Northern Plains in decades and it decimated crops across the region, resulting in $2.6 billion in agricultural losses in the U.S. alone, not including additional losses in Canada. The unique circumstances of this drought created an opportunity to evaluate and improve the efficacy of drought-related coordination, communication, and management within the region in preparation for future droughts.
Outdoor recreation is a major contributor to the Intermountain West’s economy, but the future viability of many businesses—particularly small businesses—in the industry is threatened by their drought vulnerabilities and the region’s projected increases in drought severity and frequency.
The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is excited to release our first Annual Report to provide insight into the many accomplishments of the program over the previous year and the opportunities that lie ahead. Milestones in 2019 included the NIDIS Reauthorization Act being signed into law in January, the publication of two reports examining the devastating 2017 Northern Plains drought in May, and NIDIS co-hosting the second National Drought Forum in July.
California and Nevada’s climate and weather patterns create fire-prone environments for many wildland–urban interface communities, highlighting the value in understanding the relationships between drought and wildfire. More specifically, information is needed on how drought indices are related to fire danger outputs that are commonly used in fire management.
Current Drought Conditions
The 2019 Water Year was off to a dry start in California-Nevada. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, ~74% of California-Nevada is in moderate (D1) to extreme drought (D3) as of December 4, 2018. Extreme drought (D3) conditions began impacting Ventura-Santa Barbara counties while D1-D2 conditions expanded over the Sierras and northern coastal California. Precipitation at the end of November into early December improved some of these conditions.
Southern Plains Under El Niño Watch
- In Oklahoma and Texas, drought peaked in early May. Only a few small areas in the Texas Panhandle and northeast Oklahoma still show Abnormally Dry Conditions.
- Major concerns continue for streamflows and reservoir levels in New Mexico. Another snow drought could cause devastating impacts to the state.
- There is a 70% to 75% chance that El Niño will develop and persist through the winter; however, it is expected to be weak.
CURRENT CONDITIONS