The drought that is impacting a wide swath of the southeastern US is expected to widen and or persist through the coming months. Check out the latest explanation in the Southeast Drought Early Warning Update. The update dives into the current conditions and looks ahead to the future (La Niña). If you’re interested in tracking southeastern (and local) drought trends, consider subscribing to their email list. You can always check resources like the US Drought Monitor and the Fire Weather Intelligence Portal to track regional precipitation trends.
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Southern Plains Drought Status
According the most recent Southern Plains Drought Status Update, extreme drought continues to expand over Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Drought is likely to worsen in the coming weeks and months.
Continue ReadingDrought Status Update for the Southeast: Drought Conditions Continue to Expand and Worsen
NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and its partners issue Drought Status Updates as conditions evolve. The December 13 update for the Southeast notes the following key points. You can view the full update here.
- Despite significant rainfall over the summer, precipitation this fall was much below normal for much of the region. This continued lack of precipitation is leading to soil moisture deficits and low streamflows, even as we enter the climatological winter.
- Based on the U.S. Drought Monitor released on December 9th, drought remains and currently covers 26% of the region, with 13% in severe drought (D2). These drought areas are currently in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, with the Carolinas most impacted. Abnormally dry conditions (D0) cover 41% of the region, and are found in the above states as well as Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
- Current impacts include observed low streamflow and reduced soil moisture. Fortunately, drought impacts are less pronounced this time of year because water demand is lower this time of year for vegetation use, irrigation of agriculture and lawns, and other uses. Also, climatologically, the October/November time period is one of the drier times of the year across most of the region.
- One concern is the potential for moisture deficits across portions of the region heading into the next growing season and the cold season recharge for reservoirs.
- Except for northern portions of Alabama, no appreciable rainfall is expected over the next week. Week 2 will more likely than not see above-average rainfall over most of the region, except for Florida and southeast Georgia, where rainfall should remain sparse.
- The winter outlook (December 2021–February 2022) shows a higher chance for below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures across much of the Southeast region, which is typical of the existing La Niña pattern.
- Wildfire threats have increased due to low humidity and dry fuel loads, and have led to a burn ban in North Carolina. There are reports that winter wheat is being irrigated in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, which is highly unusual. Some water systems are considering or implementing conservation practices. South Carolina has declared ‘incipient’ drought conditions in 34 counties, and North Carolina issued a Drought Advisory.
NIDIS Launches New Interactive Maps on Drought.gov
NIDIS has released two new interactive features on Drought.gov that will make it easier for decision makers and the public across the U.S. to share timely, reliable drought information.
First, new customization and sharing options for all maps make it easier than ever to create custom, high-quality maps to include in drought or risk mitigation plans, share on social media or in media briefings, communicate with stakeholders, or report on drought impacts across the United States.
Second, interactive economic sector maps including one focused on wildfire management show sector-specific information alongside key drought and climate indicators provide vital information for private and public sector decision makers to monitor, plan for, and mitigate the impacts of drought.
View the Wildfire Risk mapping tool here.
Watch a tutorial video for the mapping tools here.
Continue ReadingPartner Webinar: Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar
The Southeast Climate monthly webinar series is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 10:00 am ET. This series is hosted by the Southeast Regional Climate Center, in partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the NOAA National Weather Service. These webinars will provide the region with timely information on current and developing climate conditions such as drought, floods and tropical storms, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña. Speakers may also discuss the impacts of these conditions on topics such as agriculture production, water resources, wildfires and ecosystems.
Continue ReadingPartner Webinar: Flash Drought Webinar Series: Emerging Tools for Flash Drought Monitoring and Prediction
Droughts are often categorized as ‘flash’ droughts when they develop or intensify in a matter of weeks (though defining flash droughts continues to be an area of active debate). The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the National Weather Service (NWS) are pleased to announce a series of three webinars to help climate professionals and operational service providers better understand this phenomenon, its defining characteristics and how it varies by region and season, its impacts on agricultural and other stakeholders, and the potential for improved monitoring, prediction, and planning/response tools (datasets, maps, etc.).
This webinar, the third in the series, will include the following presentations on emerging tools for flash drought monitoring and prediction from NOAA and other institutions:
Experimental Subseasonal Tools to Support Flash Drought Monitoring and Prediction at CPC – L. Gwen Chen, NOAA Climate Prediction Center
Upcoming Product: Week-2 Flash Drought Forecasts – Brad Pugh, NOAA Climate Prediction Center
Survey of Other Emerging Flash Drought Tools – Trent Ford, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Partner Webinar: Flash Drought Webinar Series: Current Understanding and Future Priorities
Droughts are often categorized as ‘flash’ droughts when they develop or intensify in a matter of weeks (though defining flash droughts continues to be an area of active debate). The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the National Weather Service (NWS) are pleased to announce a series of three webinars to help climate professionals and operational service providers better understand this phenomenon, its defining characteristics and how it varies by region and season, its impacts on agricultural and other stakeholders, and the potential for improved monitoring, prediction, and planning/response tools (datasets, maps, etc.).
This webinar, the second in the series, will showcase the following presentations and discussion by NIDIS staff on key takeaways from the December 2020 Workshop, with an emphasis on priority activities to advance flash drought monitoring, prediction, and planning/response.
NIDIS Flash Drought Workshop: Key Takeaways and Priorities – Joel Lisonbee and Molly Woloszyn, NOAA-NIDIS
Additional reflections on the workshop and on priority actions to advance flash drought research:
Mike Hobbins, NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory
Amanda Cravens, USGS Fort Collins Science Center
NIDIS Coping with Drought Research Competition
Since 2007, the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) has funded more than 60 innovative drought research projects through the Coping with Drought research competition. Research through the Coping with Drought competition assesses impacts of drought on agriculture, ecosystems, and water resources and develops decision support tools for regional, state, and local use. This research contributes to the understanding of how communities become aware of drought threats and how they can improve preparation and planning. The projects incorporate consultation with stakeholders, and focus on information that is most useful for decision-making to reduce vulnerability; models and tools that bring this information to decision makers; and strategies for improving NIDIS’ engagement with communities in preparedness.
For Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, NIDIS is hosting two separate Coping with Drought competitions: Ecological Drought and Building Tribal Drought Resilience. Both competitions are currently open and accepting letters of intent.
Partner Webinar: Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar
The Southeast Climate monthly webinar series is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 10:00 am ET. This series is hosted by the Southeast Regional Climate Center, in partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the NOAA National Weather Service. These webinars will provide the region with timely information on current and developing climate conditions such as drought, floods and tropical storms, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña. Speakers may also discuss the impacts of these conditions on topics such as agriculture production, water resources, wildfires and ecosystems.
Continue ReadingUsing Soil Moisture Information to Better Understand and Predict Wildfire Danger: A Symposium for Researchers and Fire Managers
This free online symposium will highlight the latest advances in using soil moisture information to better understand and predict wildfire danger. These recent discoveries are revealing the potential for soil moisture estimates from in situ monitoring stations, remote sensing, and models to improve fire danger predictions and to advance our understanding of fire behavior.
This interactive symposium will provide researchers and fire managers a unique opportunity to connect with others, to learn about ongoing research in this area, and to discuss ways to move forward with new research and end uses.
The symposium will run from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. CDT and from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. CDT on May 6, 2021.
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