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.

Two-page summary of the July 25, 2018 webinar on current Southwest U.S. drought conditions, impacts, and outlook and wildfires.

July 2018 drought outlook for the states of California and Nevada. This two page document includes current drought conditions, a regional climate update, drought and climate outlook.

Drought Easing but Extreme Drought Lingers in Southern Plains. Robust Monsoon Anticipated.

• Drought peaked in May in northwest Oklahoma and the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles.

Exceptional Drought Continues in Southwest. Wet Monsoon Slightly Favored.

• The region is still mired in severe to exceptional drought due to record-high temperatures and record-low precipitation in the winter and spring
• Impacts include vegetation stress, extremely low streamflow, major wildfires, increased flood risks, and national forest closures
• Outlook favors wetter-than-normal monsoon precipitation setting in around 6-9 July

CURRENT CONDITIONS

May 2018 drought outlook for the states of California and Nevada. This two page document includes current drought conditions, a regional climate update, drought and climate outlook.

Below is a summary of the 23 May webinar led by Brian Fuchs, Climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center, and Ed Delgado, National Program Manager, Predictive Services, National Interagency Fire Center. The webinar explained drought conditions and outlook, as well as drought and wildfire in the region.

Below is a summary of the 21 May webinar, led by New Mexico State Climatologist Dave DuBois, on drought conditions, outlook, and impacts in the Southern Plains.

Drought Status

The 15 May U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) introduced D4 “Exceptional Drought” in all Southern Plains states, indicating that the current drought is comparable to the worst 1-2 droughts in the past 100 years.
 

Two-page summary of the April 23, 2018 webinar on current Southern Plains drought conditions, impacts, and outlook and wildfires. The information was provided by Brian Fuchs, Climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center, and Todd Lindley, National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman, Oklahoma.

March 2018 drought outlook for the states of California and Nevada. This two page document includes current drought conditions, a regional climate update, drought and climate outlook, and insight into current snowpack and spring/summer streamflow conditions.