The National Weather Service Central Region developed 2021–2022 Winter Hazard Outlooks in coordination with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information and National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS); U.S. Department of Agriculture; High Plains Regional Climate Center; and National Interagency Fire Center's Geographic Area Coordination Centers. This outlook highlights the various Winter hazards that could occur and potential impacts across the Western U.S.
This summary provides information on the typical La Niña winter pattern; the La Niña outlook; potential impacts; and comparisons of conditions during previous La Niña years for the Western U.S., updated in November 2021.
NOAA’s Regional Climate Services Program created these outlooks to inform the public about climate impacts within their respective regions. Each regional report contains easy-to-understand language, and anyone can access them through the Drought Portal.
This article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) was the result of NIDIS-supported research. Learn more about this research.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for Alaska and Northwestern Canada for June–August 2021, with an outlook for October–December 2021. Dated September 2021.
NOAA’s Regional Climate Services Program and partners created these Climate Outlooks to inform the public about recent climate impacts within their respective regions. Each regional report contains easy-to-understand language, and anyone can access them through the Drought Portal.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for June - August 2021. Dated September 2021.
Temperatures were well above average across nearly the entire west and were record breaking in some cases. Over 89% of the western U.S. is in drought, with 54% in extreme to exceptional drought.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Pacific Region for June - August 2021. Dated September 2021.
During the June–August 2021 period, ENSO-neutral conditions persisted with a transition to La Niña conditions expected in the coming months and a 70%–80% chance of La Niña continuing through the Northern Hemisphere winter 2021–2022.
Severe, extreme, or exceptional drought conditions have become increasingly common throughout the western United States over the past 20 years. Abnormally dry conditions can lead to a wide range of negative economic impacts across a wide range of sectors that either directly or indirectly depend on weather-dependent ecosystem services.
The National Weather Service Central Region developed 2021 Fall Hazard Outlooks in coordination with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information and National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS); U.S. Department of Agriculture; High Plains Regional Climate Center; and National Interagency Fire Center's Geographic Area Coordination Centers. This outlook highlights the various Fall hazards that could occur and potential impacts across the Western U.S.
Since 2000, the Colorado River basin has been experiencing a historic, extended drought that has impacted regional water supply and other resources, such as hydropower, recreation, and ecological goods and services. During this time, the Basin has experienced its lowest 16-year period of inflow in over 100 years of record keeping, and reservoir storage in the Colorado River system has declined from nearly full to about half of capacity.
As of July 13, 2021, 89% of the West is in drought and 25% is in Exceptional (D4) Drought. Both are U.S. Drought Monitor records. Much of the West was drought free just over 14 months ago, but drought conditions began developing around May 2020. A poor summer 2020 monsoon season followed by snow drought in winter 2020-21 worsened conditions in California and the Southwest. Record-shattering temperatures and dry conditions in the Northwest in early summer 2021 caused conditions to rapidly deteriorate in a region that was already facing multi-year precipitation deficits.