Southwest Drought Briefing: August 24, 2021

August 24, 2021

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm

MDT

The most recent United States Drought Monitor indicates that nearly all of the Southwest is experiencing some level of drought, but recent monsoonal rain is improving drought conditions. This drought briefing focused on how the monsoon is impacting drought conditions and provided a general update of current drought conditions and forecasts for Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada.

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Introduction and Welcome

Speaker: Emile Elias, Director, USDA Southwest Climate Hub

Acknowledgement of partners in producing this webinar: Joel Lisonbee, NIDIS, and Ben McMahan and Mike Crimmins from the University of Arizona.
The Southwest Drought Briefing is produced as part of the Southwest Drought Learning Network and gives an update on conditions and resources for the Southwest. These half-hour webinars will be held monthly for as long as this region is experiencing extreme drought conditions.
Introduction of speakers:
- Mike Crimmins: Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona; Extension Specialist, Arizona Cooperative Extension
- Ben McMahan, Arizona Institute for Resilience, Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, School of Anthropology

3:33

Current Drought Conditions in the Western U.S.

Speaker: Mike Crimmins, University of Arizona

There has been record-setting monsoon season precipitation for southern Arizona, with above-average precipitation for most of the rest of the Southwest.
Forecasts show high precipitation is likely for the coming weeks.
Short-term drought improvements are likely, while long-term drought continues.

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