The Causes, Predictability and Historical Context of the 2017-18 Northern Plains Drought

Motivated by the severity and rapid development of the 2017 drought, in addition to inquiries by the NOAA Central Region Climate Services Director as well as the NIDIS Reauthorization Act of 2014, in which it is stated that NIDIS “provides such information, forecasts, and assessments on both national and regional levels," this project performed an assessment on the causes, predictability and historical context of the 2017-2018 Northern Plains drought.

This results of this project will help (a) develop a comprehensive understanding of the physical mechanisms and predictability of the drought, (b) build capacity to target future drought events over the Northern Plains, and (c) address current and future stakeholder needs, including those of the NIDIS Missouri River Basin regional drought early warning system.

For more information, please contact Britt Parker (britt.parker@noaa.gov).