South Dakota State Climate Office

The 2017 Northern Plains drought sparked wildfires, destroyed livestock, and reduced agricultural production. Neither the drought’s swift onset nor its severity were forecasted. In May 2017, the region was mostly drought-free, and at least average summer precipitation was forecasted. By July 2017, North Dakota, South Dakota, eastern Montana, and the Canadian prairies were experiencing severe to

Last week NIDIS was represented coast-to-coast in a series of conferences, symposiums, and stakeholder meetings focused on drought, precipitation, and water. NIDIS staff members were in California, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Indiana, Washington, D.C., and Alabama presenting news and updates about NIDIS and drought early warning to a range of stakeholders, including experts in water, resource