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Novel forms of drought are emerging globally due to a warming climate, shifting ocean and atmospheric teleconnection patterns, expanding human water use, and a history of human influence on the environment. These droughts are increasing the probability for transformational ecological impacts that cascade to human communities in costly and consequential ways. Developing a better understanding of the changing expression and impacts of drought across different ecosystems is one of today’s grand challenges. A recent study, published in One Earth, included scientists, managers, and decision-makers in a unique horizon-scanning approach—a systematic way to explore a topic that is looming—to identify the emerging issues in ecological drought.

Soil moisture is a critical variable and influences the climate system through modification of energy and moisture fluxes of the boundary layer. This in turn affects temperature, humidity, and precipitation. In addition, soil moisture is used as an indicator for agricultural drought, and recent studies have determined soil moisture as a key indicator of, and possible early warning for, flash drought in the United States.

This series of maps shows the current state of drought in the United States. Included are the factors that have led to the drought, primarily below average precipitation coupled with high to record-breaking temperatures; impacts such as the wildfires burning across the West; experimental drought indicators like the Evaporative Demand Drought Index; and outlooks for the rest of summer and fall.

Outdoor recreation is a major contributor to the Intermountain West’s economy, but the future viability of many businesses—particularly small businesses—in the industry is threatened by their drought vulnerabilities and the region’s projected increases in drought severity and frequency.

The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is excited to release our first Annual Report to provide insight into the many accomplishments of the program over the previous year and the opportunities that lie ahead. Milestones in 2019 included the NIDIS Reauthorization Act being signed into law in January, the publication of two reports examining the devastating 2017 Northern Plains drought in May, and NIDIS co-hosting the second National Drought Forum in July. These and many other achievements made for a year filled with advances in drought information delivery, research, and partnership-building, all of which we hope you enjoy learning more about in this report.

With most of the Western United States experiencing drought or dryness, this summer has the potential to be an especially challenging wildland fire year. Bryan Henry, Meteorologist with the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), recently provided the 2020 U.S. Fire Season Outlook in a presentation for the May NIDIS CA/NV DEWS Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar. Henry will also provide another update during the June 22 NIDIS Pacific Northwest DEWS webinar. 

A Red Flag Warning (RFW) is a term that has been used since the 1960s by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) fire weather forecasters to alert forecast users to an ongoing or imminent critical fire weather pattern. 

The Alliance for Water Efficiency has released a new research study on municipal drought response and water demand. The report, Use and Effectiveness of Municipal Irrigation Restrictions During Drought, explores how drought response measures have been implemented and how water demand reductions have been achieved across different water suppliers in different states.

NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) tracks U.S. weather and climate events that have great economic and societal impacts. Since 1980, the U.S. has sustained 258 weather and climate disasters where the overall damage costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index, as of January 2020). Among these, 26 droughts cost the nation at least $249 billion, with an average cost of more than $9.6 billion incurred during each event. Only hurricanes were more costly. The cumulative cost for all 258 events exceeds $1.75 trillion.

Including Weekly Maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor, the Most Intense Drought Map, the Weeks in Drought Map, the Cumulative Drought Index, the USDM 1 Year Change Map, the USDA Drought Designated Counties Map, the 12-Month SPI Map, the Annual Departure from Normal Precipitation Map, the Palmer Drought Severity Index, and the Soil Moisture Anomaly Monthly Maps.