Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for March – May 2020.  Dated June 2020.

Temperatures were above average during spring 2020 throughout much of the West. Widespread drier-than-normal conditions occurred in spring though some regions experienced wetter than normal months.

While there is a strong connection between drought and wildfire in the western United States, how drought influences the post-wildfire environment is less well-understood, especially at shorter (1-3 year) timescales. The hazards posed by post-fire flooding and debris flows in burned landscapes depends on burn severity, underlying geology and topography, and vegetation recovery following the fire.

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.
 

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for Alaska and Northwestern Canada for September – November 2018; outlook for January – March 2019.  Dated December 2018. 

Between September and November 2018, Alaska, the majority of the Yukon Territory, and a small portion of northwestern Northwest Territories (NT) experienced warmer than average conditions.  Total precipitation between September and November was below average over a small area in northwestern Alaska, and across a band spanning southern Alaska, southern Yukon, and southern NT.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for September – November 2018.  Dated December 2018.

Above normal minimum temperatures were observed in California, Nevada, and Oregon.  Near to well above normal precipitation was observed across much of the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, and southern UT) with an improvement of drought conditions in this area.

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.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Islands Region for August – October 2018.  Dated November 2018. 

Includes significant events, regional climate overview, and sectoral impacts for August – October 2018; regional outlook for November 2018 – January 2019.  

Provides a definition of El Nino; potential winter impacts; the outlook for winter temperatures and precipitation; and a look back at previous El Nino winters.

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 at https://www.drought.gov/drought/resources/reports. 

Current Drought Conditions 

Over the course of the 2018 Water Year (Oct. 2017 - Sept. 2018), drought crept back into California-Nevada. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, drought conditions have not changed over the last 2 months except for expansion of severe drought (D3) at the Oregon and Utah borders. As of Sept. 25, ~48% of California-Nevada was in moderate to extreme drought and ~43% was abnormally dry. Current forecasts show most drought areas persisting into the early winter with above-normal temperatures likely.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for Alaska and Northwestern Canada for June – August 2018; outlook for October – December 2018.  Dated September 2018.