Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Gulf of Maine Region for September – November 2019. Dated December 2019.
Autumn temperatures (averaged over September, October, and November) ranged from 2°C (4°F) below normal to near normal in most areas, with eastern Massachusetts up to 1°C (2°F) above normal. Autumn precipitation (accumulated from September to November) ranged from 50% of normal to 150% of normal.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for September – November 2019. Dated December 2019.
Autumn temperatures were well below normal across the northern tier of the region while near to above normal temperatures were observed across California and the Southwest. Several areas of the West reported below normal autumn precipitation including northern California, eastern Utah, and western Colorado. Montana, northern Wyoming, northwestern Utah, and the Southwest reported above normal precipitation.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southeast Region for September – November 2019. Dated December 2019.
Above-average temperatures were recorded over most of the Southeast. Mean temperatures were in the top five warmest at 35 long-term stations. Autumn precipitation was below normal for most of the Southeast region. None of the long-term stations ranked within the top 10 wettest for the season.
Current Drought Conditions
The 2020 water year (Oct. 2019 - Sept. 2020) started dry in California-Nevada and led to the presence of dry or drought conditions across the region, first in southern Nevada followed by expansion of abnormally dry conditions across both states, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Recent precipitation has removed abnormally dry conditions (D0) in parts of southern California and moderate drought (D1) in southern Nevada. As of Dec. 5, 2019, ~82% of the region is in D0 or D1 conditions.
Citizen scientists with the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow (CoCoRaHS) network provide daily precipitation measurements. Volunteers’ knowledge about the local environment and how weather influences it can reveal much more than can be learned from recording daily rainfall alone. With all the extra “CoCoRaHS eyes and ears” out there, Condition Monitoring reports provide context to conditions as typically expressed by quantitative indicators and indices.
Climate projections suggest persistent droughts over the continental United States that are longer, cover more area, and are more intense than what has been experienced in the 20th century. Unlike hurricanes, which have a clear beginning and end, drought is a slow on-set hazard and its effects are not felt at once and can only be partially anticipated. Further, drought has unique characteristics that exacerbate other hazards, like wildfire and flooding.
Current Drought Conditions
Over the course of the 2019 Water Year (Oct. 2018 - Sept. 2019), California-Nevada became drought free as the region received above normal precipitation. On Oct. 2, 2018, nearly 50% of California (including extreme drought (D3) in southeastern California) and Nevada was in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Conditions worsened slightly in fall 2018, but by the end of March, both states were free of drought. As of Oct. 8, 2019, ~3% of the region is in moderate drought (D1) (Fig. 1) due to dryness in the southwest over the summer.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for Alaska and Northwestern Canada for June – August 2019; outlook for October – December 2019. Dated September 2019.
The Mississippi River is an extensive ecological and commercial transportation network that helps make U.S. exports competitive worldwide. When drought conditions exist along the Mississippi River corridor, the impacts are global, affecting livestock production and food prices. The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Midwest Region for June – August 2019. Dated September 2019.
The Midwest had close-to-normal temperatures for the summer across the entire region. Summer precipitation was near normal in the upper two-thirds of the region and above normal in the southern third.