DroughtScape WINTER 2022 - National Drought Mitigation Center
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DroughtScape
WINTER 2022 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
How bad was it?
Quarterly and annual drought
and impact summaries highlight extremes
National Climate Assessment taps NDMC expertise
Tonya Haigh, NDMC Social Science coordinator,
is a coauthor for the Northern Great Plains Region
What does drought look like for you?
Choose from several ways to share photos and observations
DROUGHT SCIENCE PLANNING SENSE
About the cover
Drying pond in Sandy Creek
Environmental Park in Durham, North
From
the
Director
Carolina, December 14, 2021. Photo
submitted by a CMOR user.
Contents
I
hope all of you reading the first
1 From the Director DroughtScape of 2022 have had a
happy and productive New Year so
2 4th quarter climate summary
far. Unfortunately, drought conditions
don’t reset with the turn of the calendar
4 Annual climate & drought summary
or the change of a season. Just over
55% of the Lower 48 was experiencing
8 4th quarter drought impact summary
moderate drought or worse as of Jan.
11 Annual drought impact summary 18, 2022, the week that drought
coverage set a U.S. Drought Monitor-era
14 Drought Center develops new record. Starting on Sept. 29, 2020,
objective blend tools drought has covered at least 40% of the
Lower 48, a streak of 69 weeks.
15 U.S. Drought Monitor email alerts As the NDMC’s Brian Fuchs put it
Mark Svoboda recently, we are seeing that drought now
16 Which reporting system is right for comes in all shapes and sizes, and at any
you? time. And we are seeing how drought contributes to disasters across a
broad scope. Long-term drought conditions in Colorado have been cited
18 Statewide CMOR use produces as a contributing factor in the recent rapid wildfire that claimed over 900
clear picture of drought in North homes in the Boulder area this winter. The conditions that contributed to
Dakota this USDM-era record-long period of drought, as well as scores of
impacts that have resulted from it, are cataloged in our annual climate
20 NDMC’s Haigh contributes to and impact summaries. Our climatologist, Curtis Riganti, and impacts
National Climate Assessment
specialist, Denise Gutzmer, also zero in on recent trends with the
quarterly climate and impact summaries. Each is well worth the read.
Along with a look back at 2021, this issue of DroughtScape
ndmc@unl.edu
Cory Matteson, Editor highlights several ways in which the NDMC is helping inform everyone
from experts to the general public about drought conditions, and how
they can help us better pinpoint where drought is developing and how
drought.unl.edu it is affecting people who live there.
I’m extremely excited to announce that the Drought Center
recently launched its new weekly and gridded long- and short-term
@DroughtCenter objective blends maps, which will help provide USDM authors with an
early point of reference each week as they develop the latest Drought
Monitor map. While they are upgraded versions of maps that USDM
@DroughtCenter
authors requested at the very first U.S. Drought Monitor Forum, they
are available for anyone to view at ndmcblends.unl.edu. We strive to
go.unl.edu/droughtflix
share our science with the public, which is why we also developed a
tool that lets you receive email alerts when drought conditions change
in your neighborhood. Learn how to sign up for the Drought Alert
go.unl.edu/supportndmc Request on page 15.
And on page 16, learn how you can best submit drought
conditions observations to a number of drought monitoring networks.
Then read how North Dakota’s state climatologist worked with the
NDMC’s Kelly Helm Smith to streamline the drought reporting process
using the Condition Monitoring Observation Reports system (page
18). State climatologists: If that gives you any ideas about how you
could use CMOR, reach out. We’re here to help. ❍
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is an
equal opportunity educator and employer.
© 2022 National Drought Mitigation Center
DROUGHTSCAPE
1 Winter | 2022
FOURTH QUARTER OF 2021 CLIMATE SUMMARY
Southern Plains saw more drought in 4th quarter of 2021
By Curtis Riganti
NDMC climatologist
Drought classifications are based on
the U.S. Drought Monitor. Details on
the extent and severity of drought
are online: droughtmonitor.unl.edu.
The outlook integrates existing
conditions with forecasts from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Climate Prediction
Center: www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov.
National Summary
I
n the final quarter of 2021,
drought conditions developed or
worsened in parts of the central
and southern Great Plains,
particularly in eastern Colorado,
western Kansas, the Texas
Panhandle, and western Oklahoma.
Drought also developed and
worsened in northern Louisiana (and Change in U.S. Drought Monitor categories between September 28, 2021 and
the adjacent ArkLaTex region), December 28, 2021. Warm colors represent worsening drought conditions, and
western Mississippi, and the cool colors represent improved drought conditions.
Carolinas and Virginia. Drought
conditions improved in parts of the
northern Great Plains and Upper moderate drought grew from about Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic,
Midwest, particularly in Iowa, 79 million to about 100 million over northwestern Maine, south-central
Minnesota, and the Dakotas, though the final quarter. Wisconsin, and parts of central
conditions mostly worsened in Montana. Above-normal
Wisconsin. West of the Continental
Precipitation
precipitation occurred in the final
Divide, drought conditions generally quarter in northeast Illinois, northern
stayed the same or improved, with Indiana, northwest Ohio, and
During the final quarter of 2021,
the largest improvements coming in southeast Lower Michigan. Wetter-
very dry weather enveloped eastern
northwest Montana, Idaho, than-normal conditions also
Colorado and adjacent southwest
Washington, and Oregon. occurred in North Dakota and
Nebraska, western Kansas, New
northwest Minnesota. Largely driven
Drought
Mexico, western Texas, and western
Oklahoma. This dryness set the by storm systems in December,
stage for several wildfire and dust above-normal precipitation fell
During the last quarter of 2021,
storm events during December across much of California, Nevada,
moderate drought coverage
storm systems; please see the 2021 northern Utah, parts of western
increased from 40.05% to 46.23%
Annual Climate and Drought Colorado, far northwest Washington,
near the end of December. Despite
Summary, also in this issue of southeast Idaho, and southwest
the increase in overall drought
DroughtScape, or the December Wyoming. These December storm
coverage, other drought categorical
2021 Climate and Drought Summary systems helped to deposit large
coverages remained near constant
for further information on these snowpacks after what had been a
or decreased. Severe drought
events. After a wet August slow start to the high elevation snow
coverage was mostly unchanged,
associated with Hurricane Ida, season in the West. Precipitation in
dropping slightly from 30.61% to
Louisiana and Mississippi and Hawaii ended up being a bit above
30.3% . Extreme drought coverage
southwest Alabama saw much drier normal or near normal in most areas
dropped from 19.32 to 11.7%, and
than normal weather from October for the final quarter, following a very
exceptional drought coverage
through December. Drier-than- wet December; much of the state
dropped from 6.07 to 1.3%. The
normal weather also occurred in the had been in drought entering
population experiencing at least
Winter | 2022
2 DROUGHTSCAPE
December. East-central Alaska saw
above-normal precipitation during
the final quarter, while parts of
southeast Alaska were a little drier
than normal. Parts of southern and
northwest Puerto Rico were drier
than normal, and very dry weather
continued in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Temperature
A large portion of the
contiguous U.S. experienced
warmer-than-normal temperatures
during the fourth quarter of 2021. In
particular, roughly the central third
from the Mississippi River to the
Continental Divide was unusually
warm, with widespread temperature
readings from 4 to 6 degrees above
normal and scattered readings from
6 to 8 degrees above normal,
particularly in Texas. The eastern
U.S. was also warmer than normal,
though temperatures there were
generally 2 to 4 degrees warmer High Plains Regional Climate Center
than normal, with some anomalies Standardized precipitation index for October through December 2021. This
statistic shows how unusually high or low precipitation totals were for October
of 4 to 6 degrees above normal in
through December, compared to normal October through December
the Midwest and in western precipitation totals for a location.
Pennsylvania and New York. Far
northern Montana, northern
California, and northwest
Washington saw temperatures near
or below normal, and temperatures
in much of Nevada, southern
California, and south Florida were
near normal for the final quarter. ❍
High Plains Regional Climate Center
December 2021 monthly temperature anomalies compared to normal values
for December (in degrees Farenheit).
DROUGHTSCAPE
3 Winter | 2022
2021 ANNUAL CLIMATE & DROUGHT SUMMARY
Western drought persisted through much of 2021
By Curtis Riganti
NDMC Climatologist
A
cross much of the U.S.,
moderate and severe drought
coverage increased during
2021, while coverage of extreme and
exceptional drought decreased
slightly. Within the year, a few local
significant drought events came and
went as well. On the whole, drought
continued in the West, though this
improved somewhat during the
second half of the year. Drought
also occurred over the central and
southern portions of the western
Great Plains, primarily in the winter
and early spring, then again late in
autumn, with a reprieve in the form
of wet conditions in between.
Widespread drought formed and
dissipated in Hawaii. Other extreme
precipitation and temperature
anomalies, such as Hurricane Ida in Drought category changes between the U.S. Drought Monitor maps valid on
the eastern U.S., anomalous cold in December 29, 2020 and December 28, 2021. Warm colors represent worsening
the central and southern U.S. in drought conditions, and cool colors represent improved drought conditions.
February, and anomalous warmth
across a large swath of the country
in December, occurred in 2021 and
will be detailed herein. From the last drought conditions also occurred in the month. The persistent cold
USDM map of 2020 to the first eastern Colorado and adjacent weather and winter precipitation
USDM map of 2022, moderate portions of western Kansas and (much of it in the form of snow) was
drought coverage increased from Nebraska. Over the entirety of the impactful, particularly in Texas and
40.97 to 45.82%, severe drought first quarter of 2021, the northern Oklahoma. Widespread power
coverage increased from 28.61 to Great Plains and Upper Midwest outages and pipe bursts occurred in
29.35%, extreme drought coverage were generally a few degrees the southern Great Plains as a result
decreased from 18.56 to 10.33%, warmer than normal. A corridor from of the cold snap, with some of the
and exceptional drought coverage eastern Wyoming into the Texas power outage problems extending
dropped from 8.26 to 1.3%. Panhandle saw temperatures farther north in the Great Plains.
From January through March, generally 2 to 4 degrees colder than Parts of the central Great Plains,
drought that was ongoing at the normal during this period. In the particularly Nebraska, southeast
beginning of the year evolved in eastern U.S., temperatures generally Wyoming, northeast Colorado, and
some regions. Drought conditions were near normal or 2 to 4 degrees northwest Kansas, saw above-
generally worsened in south Texas, warmer than normal. Despite the normal (or much above normal)
where extreme drought expanded aforementioned overall statistics, precipitation between January and
and exceptional drought was February 2021 was anomalously March, primarily driven by wet
introduced. Some improvement to cold over a large portion of the Great conditions in March.
drought conditions occurred in Plains and western portions of the From April through June
southwest and central parts of Midwest. A large expanse saw (hereafter referred to as the “second
Arizona. Improvement to drought temperatures at least 9 degrees quarter”), very dry weather occurred
conditions occurred in Hawaii during below normal for February, from in parts of the Upper Midwest and
the first quarter of the year. Drought central Montana southward to north northern Great Plains, and in parts
conditions worsened in the western Texas and eastward to Illinois and of the northwest U.S., particularly
Dakotas and in adjacent northeast Wisconsin. Within this area, a few the northern Sierra Nevada,
Montana. Parts of Washington and spots in eastern Nebraska and Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah,
Oregon saw improvement to drought central Montana came in at 15 and Montana. Dry weather also
conditions, and improvement in degrees or more below normal for occurred in eastern Kentucky and
Winter | 2022
4 DROUGHTSCAPE
adjacent states and in northern New
England. Above-normal precipitation
occurred in southeast New Mexico,
parts of north-central and west-
central Texas, and the Gulf Coast
region of Texas, Louisiana, and
Mississippi. During the second
quarter, temperatures were generally
1 to locally 5 degrees warmer than
normal west of the Continental
Divide and north of Interstate 80.
Temperatures from central Texas
into the Southeast were generally 1
to 3 degrees below normal. In June,
warmer-than-normal temperatures
were spread across much of the
contiguous U.S., with the exception
of the south-central and southeast
regions. The northern Great Plains
and the West, in particular the
northwest states, were much
warmer than normal in June, with
many sites recording temperatures
at least 6 degrees above normal.
The above-normal precipitation in
south Texas and the Edwards U.S. Drought Monitor map for December 28, 2021, the last USDM map for 2021.
Plateau removed much of the
drought in this region by the end of
the second quarter, leaving a couple
spots along the Rio Grande in During the third quarter of 2021 quarter, temperatures in the
moderate long-term drought at the (July-September), drought continued southern U.S. were generally within
end of June. Drought areas had also to expand and intensify in the a couple degrees of normal.
mostly retreated west out of the northwest U.S. and in Minnesota, Temperatures were mostly warmer
Texas Panhandle, and some while conditions improved markedly than normal in the north-central and
improvement to conditions also in Arizona and southern Utah. Short- western U.S., with most areas
occurred in the Permian Basin. term drought also began a quick coming in between 2 and 4 degrees
Drought conditions expanded in onset in late August and September above normal. Parts of California,
New England during the second in the southern Great Plains and in Oregon, Montana, Utah, South
quarter, with some severe drought parts of eastern Colorado, Dakota, North Dakota, and northern
developing in Maine and northern southwest and western Nebraska, Minnesota finished the quarter 4 to
New Hampshire. Drought expanded and adjacent parts of northwest and 6 degrees above normal. Above-
across parts of northern Iowa, southwest Kansas. Improvement in normal precipitation (including
southern Wisconsin, and northern drought conditions in Arizona and some major events) fell in southeast
Illinois, with parts of Chicagoland southern Utah occurred due to a wet Louisiana, southern Mississippi,
ending up in extreme drought in the monsoon period. Drought intensity northern Alabama, parts of Georgia,
latter half of June. Extreme drought, and coverage peaked in mid to late and central Tennessee. A flood
and some exceptional drought, August in Minnesota and Iowa as a disaster occurred in late August in
expanded along the Missouri River result of continued dry weather and the western portion of central
in parts of the Dakotas and far warmer-than-normal temperatures. Tennessee, in which 20 people died
northern Nebraska. Above-normal In September, drought conditions after 10-15 inches of rain fell in
precipitation and near-normal began to improve in these areas. parts of the area around Waverly.
temperatures in eastern Colorado Very dry weather occurred along the Hurricane Ida struck the Gulf Coast
allowed for drought to cease east of North Dakota-Montana border in the of Louisiana and headed northeast,
the Front Range of the Rocky third quarter, as well as in the west- delivering flooding rain, powerful
Mountains. Drought conditions central Great Plains, particularly in winds, and destructive storm surge
began to expand in Minnesota southeast Wyoming, western in the last few days of August.
during the second quarter, a sign of Nebraska, eastern Colorado, Flooding, and generally above-
conditions that would worsen northwest Kansas, and parts of the normal precipitation, were also a
significantly later. As a result of the western Texas and Oklahoma problem in the Northeast after
hot and dry weather, drought panhandles and northeast New Hurricane Ida’s remnants tracked
conditions expanded and worsened Mexico. By the end of September, there. A tornado outbreak affected
in the northwest U.S. short-term drought had expanded parts of eastern Pennsylvania and
across these areas. During the third New Jersey, while flash flooding
DROUGHTSCAPE
5 Winter | 2022
struck New York City as Ida’s
remnants passed through. Far
northern New England missed out
on the above-normal precipitation,
however, and a small area of
moderate and severe drought
persisted.
The final quarter of 2021 was
characterized by weather and
climate extremes in many areas, as
well as an expansion of drought in
parts of the Great Plains. With the
exception of parts of the West,
much of the contiguous U.S. saw
warmer-than-normal temperatures
from October through December.
Temperatures across a large
expanse of the Great Plains were 4
to 6 degrees above normal, with
localized spots 6 to 8 degrees above
normal. Dry weather enveloped
eastern Colorado and eastern New
Mexico, as well as adjacent parts of
western Nebraska, Kansas,
Oklahoma, and Texas. When
combined with the drier July through Standardized precipitation index for 2021, computed from NWS weather station
data. This statistic shows how unusual precipitation totals are for a location, with
September in this region and the
negative numbers being dry anomalies and positive numbers being wet anomalies.
anomalously warm temperatures,
short-term drought quickly
expanded and worsened in this
region, setting the stage for storm
systems in December to adversely Valley into the Ohio River Valley, with wildfires also occurred in Kansas,
impact the region. Short-term Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, and Texas. Near the end
drought also developed in Louisiana Missouri being hit with numerous of December, very strong winds
and Mississippi in the midst of very strong tornadoes and a couple impacted the Boulder, Colorado
dry weather in the final quarter. violent tornadoes, which resulted in area, which helped to spread a
Some short-term drought also numerous fatalities and widespread wildfire in areas experiencing
developed in parts of the Mid- destruction. The second storm extreme drought. This wildfire
Atlantic states, where precipitation system roared across the central resulted in a few fatalities and
was below normal from October Great Plains and Upper Midwest on widespread destruction. In the midst
through the end of the year. As December 15, leading to a myriad of of the destructive December
alluded to earlier, much warmer than impacts. Widespread damaging weather in the Great Plains and
normal temperatures, particularly thunderstorm winds affected areas Midwest, these storm systems
east of the Rocky Mountains, had from central Nebraska and north- helped to deliver heavy mountain
many impacts. During October, central Kansas to parts of southern snows to large portions of the West.
much of the Great Lakes region saw Minnesota and Wisconsin as a In the last couple weeks of the year,
temperatures from 6 to 8 degrees derecho, which was highly unusual drought conditions improved
above normal, which delayed the for how far north and late in the year markedly across the region,
onset of autumn foliage in parts of it occurred. Within the thunderstorm particularly in California, Nevada,
the region. Warm and humid air in line, numerous tornadoes formed, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and
late October helped to fuel a tornado including some in Minnesota, the Washington, though long-term
outbreak just to the south of St. first time that December tornadoes drought remained in many locations.
Louis, which resulted in several had been observed there. Finally, drought conditions, after
strong/intense tornadoes. In Widespread damaging non- worsening in much of Hawaii
December, the U.S. (as a whole) saw thunderstorm winds also occurred through the end of November, were
its warmest December on record, as in parts of Kansas, Colorado, Texas, removed by the beginning of
did many individual states. Two Oklahoma, and Nebraska, which January after widespread significant
powerful storm systems traversed induced a widespread dust storm as precipitation.
the central U.S. in the middle of strong winds lofted dust in the areas Over the course of 2021, the
December. The first resulted in a of the western Great Plains percent coverage of moderate
tornado outbreak that affected experiencing short-term drought. In drought hovered within roughly 5%
areas from the mid-Mississippi River addition to the dust storm, several of the 40% mark for much of the
Winter | 2022
6 DROUGHTSCAPE
peaked at 8.55% in late May, and
ended the year with a minimum of
1.59%.
In terms of population
experiencing moderate drought, the
year began with about 70 million
people in moderate drought areas.
This number fell to about 60 million
people in the middle of February,
peaked at about 102 million people
in late April, and ended the year at
roughly 99 million people. At the
beginning of the year, about 43
million people were in severe
drought areas. This number dropped
to about 34 million people in the
middle of February, grew to a
maximum of about 67 million
people in the middle of June, and
finished the year at about 56 million
people. At the start of 2021, about
23 million people were experiencing
extreme drought. The population in
extreme drought reached a
maximum of about 45 million
February 2021 temperature departures from normal (in degrees Farenheit). people in the middle of June, and
eventually settled to a minimum of
about 18 million people by the end
of 2021. At the onset of 2021,
year, reaching a low of 36.31% in August, and finished the year at roughly 8 million people were in
late May and reaching a high of 30.3%. Extreme drought coverage exceptional drought areas. This
46.53% in early December. Severe began the year at 17.63%, peaked at population grew to about 19 million
drought coverage started 2021 at 22.39% in the middle of August, and people by the end of August, then
27.49%, reached a minimum of bottomed out at 11.7% at the end of fell to about 390,000 people by the
24.74% at the end of March, reached the year. Exceptional drought end of the year. ❍
a maximum of 32.65% in early coverage began the year at 7.91%,
MONTHLY DROUGHT AND IMPACT SUMMARIES
For a more detailed review of conditions, please visit:
drought.unl.edu/Publications/MonthlySummary.aspx
DROUGHTSCAPE
7 Winter | 2022
4TH QUARTER 2021 DROUGHT IMPACT SUMMARY
Drought improved in the West, Northern Plains, but
flared in the Southern Plains, Mid-Atlantic
By Denise Gutzmer
NDMC Drought Impacts Specialist
T
he NDMC added 329 impacts
to the Drought Impact
Reporter in the last quarter of
2021 as a hot, dry year wound down.
So much of the U.S. West was in
drought, and it was such an intense
level of drought, touching every
aspect of life in the West from
agriculture and water supplies to
recreation and human health.
California had the most impacts
with 128, recording many water
restrictions and supply issues.
La Niña forecast for
winter, into spring
This year was the second year of
a La Niña with a 90% chance of La Dried pond in Sheridan County, North Dakota, December 3, 2021. Photo submitted
Niña conditions prevailing through by a CMOR user.
the Northern Hemisphere winter and
into spring 2022 during March
through May, according to the
National Weather Service’s Climate
Prediction Center and reported by Lower Colorado River precipitation being responsible for
the snow drought. Several ski
Reuters on Nov. 11. The pattern is
linked to floods and drought.
Basin agreement resorts in northern Utah had not
opened in early December due to the
Water authorities from Arizona, absence of snow. Most ski resorts
Drought concerns in the Nevada and California signed an
agreement on Dec. 15, voluntarily
in the Rockies were eagerly awaiting
snow to open. California resorts,
western U.S. offering to reduce their share of
water to be taken from the Colorado
too, were needing snow to open.
Hay supplies, drought, dairies in the
California
River to keep Lake Mead fuller, as
reported by Associated Press. The
West, ranchers 500+ Plan requires that the states As the Golden State entered its
Cattle ranchers and dairy farmers take 500,000 acre-feet less in 2022 water year with low reservoirs, these
in the Great Plains and West struggled and 2023, depending on water usage are some of the events that occurred
to feed their herds after a hot, dry and conservation in the area, with the in the last quarter of 2021:
summer. Pasture and hay growth aim of averting mandatory cuts in the
were poor with over a third of U.S. hay- near future. States must also make a California statewide drought
growing areas in drought across the financial investment, and the federal
emergency declaration
West to the Northern Plains. Hay for government would also contribute.
sale was hard to find, and some Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a
Snow drought in the
livestock were being sold early. statewide drought emergency for
The challenges were greater for California on Oct. 19 and urged
dairy operators. Many California
dairy farmers could not grow half
western U.S. more water conservation. Fifty of
the Golden State’s 58 counties had
their feed as usual and bought feed Through early December, winter been in a state of drought
at steep prices instead. Many did not bring much snow to the emergency since July, and Gov.
operations went out of business or western U.S., as reported by Newsom added the eight remaining
were on the cusp of doing so. Associated Press, with warm counties and reiterated his call for
temperatures and lack of
Winter | 2022
8 DROUGHTSCAPE
water conservation of 15%. During
the previous drought, Gov. Jerry
Brown mandated urban water
conservation of 25%, according to
the Los Angeles Times.
Low reservoir levels at start of water
year
The Bureau of Reclamation’s
Central Valley Project began the
2022 water year on Oct. 1 with 3.21
million acre-feet of water, for one of
the lowest starting points in recent
history as drought persisted in
California, according to the Bureau
of Reclamation.
Of the 329 impacts added to the Drought Impact Reporter from October through
October atmospheric river helpful,
December, most came from California, where the DIR media search and
moderation process identified 128 impacts. Colorado and Texas followed with
but not an end to drought 40 and 35 impacts, respectively.
In late October, an atmospheric
river brought abundant precipitation
to northern and central California,
setting new daily precipitation
records and bringing some relief to
depleted reservoirs. The AR dropped
8 trillion gallons of rain, leading to
the wettest October for Northern
California and Nevada in decades,
according to SFGate. The fire
season was dampened and likely at
an end in Northern California. Some
water bodies, like Lake Tahoe and
Lake Oroville, benefitted from the
storms. Some ski resorts in the
northern Sierras received 30 or more
inches of snow.
Drought relief, response and restrictions (23.3%) was the top impact category
Ultimately the torrential rain in the October–December 2021 Drought Impact Reporter.
was just enough and just in the nick
of time, but more storms will be
needed, per the Los Angeles Times.
to be put in place if the winter Coast in the mid and latter parts of
Early December California dryness persisted. December, replenishing some
preparations for continued dry The State Water Resources reservoirs and dropping heavy snow.
conditions Control Board proposed new By the end of the month, California
emergency drought regulations in had received more precipitation
Although California received early December to discourage since the start of the water year,
some beneficial precipitation in late water waste as supplies were low beginning Oct. 1, than was received
October, November was very dry, and the public was falling short of in the previous 12 months,
and the Dec. 1 snowpack left much the voluntary 15% water use according to the National Weather
to be desired. California cities and reduction urged by Gov. Newsom, Service, as reported by San
farms were cautioned that they according to San Mateo Daily Francisco Chronicle. The state’s
should not expect to receive water Journal. precipitation volume was already
from California’s State Water Project The proposed regulations were 33.9 trillion gallons, exceeding the
(SWP) in 2022, as reported by approved in January. 33.6 trillion gallons from the
Associated Press News. This is the previous year. On average, California
earliest date that the Department of More atmospheric river activity gets about 70 trillion gallons of
Water Resources has announced a really deepened the Sierra Nevada precipitation annually.
0% water allocation, indicative of snowpack in December
just how serious drought conditions
were as the Sierra Nevada held little Atmospheric rivers unleashed
snow. Mandatory restrictions were heavy winter storms on the West
DROUGHTSCAPE
9 Winter | 2022Winter wheat needing Colorado’s Marshall Fire Forest Service on Nov. 29 issued a
ban on all open burning and
moisture in the Central, On Dec. 30, a small fire rapidly
burgeoned into a massive, wind-
canceled all burning permits
statewide to protect lives, property
Southern Plains driven firestorm known as the and forestland, according to WWAY-
Marshall Fire between Boulder and TV3 in Leland, N.C. A number of
Winter wheat on the Great Denver that consumed nearly 1,100 counties in southern Virginia also
Plains has gotten off to a poor start homes and other buildings, adopted burn bans, per WSLS in
in some states like Oklahoma where blackened 9.4 square miles and was Roanoke, Va.
the small plants did not have robust estimated to have caused $513 For more details, please visit the
root systems and will not cope well million in damage, making this the Drought Impact Reporter. ❍
with adverse conditions, as reported most destructive wildfire in
by Reuters. Dry soils and lack of Colorado’s history, per Associated
snow cover leave the crop Press.
vulnerable to winterkill. Drought Warm temperatures and dry
affects parts of the Great Plains, conditions primed the landscape for
posing a challenge for the wheat this disastrous fire. July through
from Colorado and Nebraska to mid-December 2021 was the
Texas. warmest and driest on record in
High winds from the Dec. 15 Denver, as reported by KDVR-TV FOX
windstorm stripped the U.S. Plains 31 Denver.
of needed moisture and damaged
Developing drought in
the winter wheat crop, which was
already dealing with dry conditions.
the Southeast & fire
While some Kansas wheat was
blown out of the ground, other
wheat was severely damaged, but
may be able to recover with the help
danger
of moisture, per Reuters. Some The southeastern U.S. dried out
wheat, whitened and stripped of rapidly in November. The dry
leaves, seems to have sustained conditions, on top of the senescing
damage by static electricity from vegetation of autumn, meant
blowing dust, per a Kansas State heightened fire danger and
University extension agronomist. increased fire activity in West
In Texas, strong winds blew out Virginia, Virginia and the Carolinas.
and killed the wheat, making it a Cities and counties began enacting
total loss, according to the Texas burn bans toward the end of
Farm Bureau. November. The North Carolina
DROUGHT IMPACT REPORTER
To view all impacts and reports, please visit:
droughtreporter.unl.edu
Winter | 2022
10 DROUGHTSCAPEANNUAL 2021 DROUGHT IMPACT SUMMARY
Drought gripped the Western U.S. in 2021
By Denise Gutzmer winter. Some wet winter storms California drought emergency
arrived in late October and in declarations
NDMC Drought Impacts Specialist December, bringing some needed
relief, but more precipitation is Gov. Gavin Newsom declared
2021
was an active
year in terms needed to continue the escape from drought emergencies for Mendocino
of drought. The drought. and Sonoma counties on April 21
year began with 48.99% of the and added another 39 counties in
continental U.S. in drought (D1-D4)
Low water supplies in California— northern California and the San
on Jan. 1 and stayed around that snowpack melted, but reservoirs did Joaquin Valley on May 10, according
level throughout the year before not fill as expected to The Mercury News. No
ending at 54.81% on Dec. 31, 2021. mandatory water restrictions were
California’s state and federal ordered, as was done during the
Roughly half of the Lower 48— water projects both made dire
largely the West—was consistently previous drought, because
announcements about water Californians were using 16% less
in drought throughout 2021. deliveries on March 23 as the winter
Most of the 1,202 impacts water than they did in 2013 as
season brought scant precipitation, conservation had become a habit.
logged in the Drought Impact leaving water supplies short for the
Reporter in 2021 were for states
Varied drought impacts
coming year. Water deliveries for the
west of the Mississippi River. Central Valley Project, which were
in the West
California was the state with the initially set at 5%, were delayed with
most impacts with 302 no date set for water release. The
documenting numerous water State Water Project revealed a
restrictions and water-related issues Drought in the western U.S.
reduction in water allocation to 5%,
as water supplies were lower than began ramping up in the fall of
down from the 10% initial allocation
expected after the snowpack 2019. It expanded, intensified and
announced in December 2020.
resulted in less runoff than remained entrenched through the
Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada
expected. present.
amounted to 59% of historical
average on April 1, but melted away
California’s drought
These are many of the concerns
early. The volume of water that was faced in the West during 2021:
issues
expected to refill reservoirs was
dramatically reduced by evaporation Low snowpack in Colorado
and parched soil that absorbed the
California’s most recent two water and allowed 685,000 acre-feet Snowpack was below normal in
years of drought were among the of water to just vanish, per East Bay Colorado for much of the winter of
driest in the state’s history. The state Times. Water districts and 2020–21, raising concerns about
desperately needed a wet winter to communities ratcheted up water supplies across the state. A
end the drought and replenish water conservation requests and mid-March snowstorm brought
supplies, but a second year of the La mandates as it became clearer that Colorado to 91% of its median
Niña pattern left southern California more conservation was needed to snowpack, but river basins west of
and the southern U.S. more likely to extend water supplies in case next the Continental Divide remained up
experience dry conditions again this winter was also dry. to 19% below normal, per Colorado
DROUGHTSCAPE
11 Winter | 2022Public Radio. The Colorado Basin wildfire count in the U.S. exceeded wildfires—Dixie, Monument, and
River Forecast Center forecast April- 100 blazes for a while in August. Caldor—were climbing the chart of
July water supplies ranging from California saw plenty of wildfires the Top 20 Largest California
60-85% of normal in parts of the in August exhibiting extreme and Wildfires kept by Cal Fire. While the
basin. Given the low soil moisture new fire behavior never witnessed size of the Dixie and Caldor fires
due to 2020 being the second driest before this year. Three massive was certainly significant, their
year in Colorado’s recorded history, it
was expected that the soil would
absorb much of the moisture from
snowpack and reduce runoff in
2021.
Grim water shortages in New Mexico
Most of New Mexico was in
exceptional drought during the first
quarter of 2021 as winter storms
failed to deliver much moisture,
presenting problems for water
supplies. Low flows on the Rio
Grande River, low reservoirs and
New Mexico owing water to Texas
all meant poor water outlooks for
farmers relying on the river for
water. For irrigation districts on the California led the nation with 302 impacts recorded in the Drought Impact
Rio Grande River, the start to the Reporter. Texas and Colorado followed with 142 and 130 impacts, respectively.
season was delayed, deliveries were
very low, and the seasons were to
end early, per the Las Cruces Sun
News.
Wildfires in the West
Drought and extreme heat
contributed to the challenge of
fighting wildfires in the West this
summer. As August began, eighty-
some wildfires flared in the
Northwest, largely in western
Montana and northern Idaho. The
U.S. Forest Service announced its
intention in August to fight wildfires
more aggressively to protect towns
and infrastructure in the West as
drought conditions made blazes
In 2021, the Drought Impact Reporter recorded 1,202 impacts.
harder to control, as reported by The
Wall Street Journal. The large
Winter | 2022
12 DROUGHTSCAPEbehavior was especially noteworthy. Reclamation announced the first Corn and failed small grains
Both the Dixie Fire and the Caldor declared water shortage in the were cut for livestock feed in parts
Fire burned from one side of the Colorado River Basin on Aug. 16. of North Dakota and elsewhere.
Sierra to the other within weeks of Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will
each other, per Los Angeles Times. receive less water in 2022, with Diminished wheat production
Fire officials blame drought and Arizona farmers seeing the biggest The planting, growing and
climate change for the unheard-of cut in water deliveries as the state harvest were rough for spring wheat
fire behavior. gets 18% less of its share of river in the Northern Plains in 2021. While
Fire activity was unusually high water. Nevada will lose 7% in 2022, there was not enough moisture for
in the Northwest in 2021. More than while Mexico will get about 5% less. germination in some places, hopeful
1 million acres burned in wildfires in farmers planted and waited for rain,
Washington and Oregon through Cherished trout streams threatened but the growing season did not offer
Aug. 15, compared with about by drought much, per DTN – Progressive
52,500 acres by the same time in Farmer. For some wheat growers,
Drought and heat have reduced
2020, according to the Northwest the crop was of better quality and
trout streams in the U.S. West to
Interagency Coordination Center and better yield than expected, while for
slower, warmer ribbons of water
reported by KING-TV NBC 5 in others, the wheat was hayed for
than usual. Yellowstone National
Seattle. Drought allowed the fire feed, abandoned, or zeroed out by
Park, Montana and Colorado
season to get a head start this year. insurance. ❍
imposed fishing restrictions to limit
First ever water shortage declaration stress on the fish during the hotter
times of day, but Idaho and
in the Colorado River Basin Wyoming did not, per Associated
Lake Mead had fallen about 140 Press News.
feet since 2000, per USA Today, and
was 37% full in early June. The Livestock sales, poor hay growth
previous 12 months were some of Extreme heat and drought dried
the driest on record across the up pastures, leaving no hay or feed
Colorado River Basin. Inflows into for cattle, pushing many cattle
Lake Powell from April through July producers from Canada across the
were estimated to be just 26% of the U.S. and Mexico to sell livestock, as
long-term average, leading to steep reported by Reuters. The liquidation
drops in both Powell and Mead, the of breeding stock is expected to
two largest reservoirs in the limit cattle production for years,
Colorado River Basin. tighten the North American beef
As the water level at Lake Mead supply, and increase prices
continued its downward trend into consumers will pay, according to
record low territory, the Bureau of ranchers and cattle experts.
DROUGHTSCAPE
13 Winter | 2022Drought Center develops new objective blend tools
By Cory Matteson
NDMC Communications Specialist With funding from the USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, the National
Drought Mitigation Center developed short- (left) and long-term (right)
T
he U.S. Drought Monitor map objective blends of drought-related data to help Drought Monitor authors get a
is not strictly objective, in the first glimpse of conditions across the U.S. The products are finer-scale, gridded
sense that its authors use versions of the objective blends developed by the Climate Prediction Center
expert judgment to reconcile what early in the history of the U.S. Drought Monitor.
different streams of data are saying
about drought. They also
incorporate expert local
interpretations of data, such as how blended several sets of climate and long-term drought, the blends
conditions are affecting people and division data together. The “objective provide Drought Monitor authors
the environment. But objective data blends” were born. NOAA’s Climate with a helpful reference to glance at
is the backbone of the process, and Prediction Center, which developed and build upon. But their usefulness
the mix, or blend, of objective data the product based on the authors’ diminished over time as the
varies by region and season. input, houses the blends online. resolution of other data improved
Since the U.S. Drought Monitor Over the past 22 years, more and the CPC-housed objective
went operational in 1999, its authors data have started feeding into the blends remained the same.
have followed a similar blueprint for U.S. Drought Monitor process, and “Early on in the process of the
examining data they use to build the the network of observers has grown, objective blends, authors were able
weekly map that shows the latest leading to a higher resolution to use them as a ‘first guess’ to direct
drought conditions across the depiction of drought conditions them to areas that may need to be
country and its territories. They study across the country. But the objective investigated further,” Fuchs said.
key indices that provide information blend maps remained largely The recently released objective
about precipitation, soil moisture, unchanged. This year, the National blends developed by the NDMC,
snowpack and other drought Drought Mitigation Center is unlike the CPC originals, are
indicators to see where drought changing that with the release of produced with gridded datasets,
conditions could develop or persist, newly developed short- and long- which Fuchs said produce a detailed
and they compare that information term objective blend tools. picture of drought conditions across
with on-the-ground reports. Even NDMC climatologist and the country. The short- and long-term
when there were fewer drought longtime U.S. Drought Monitor blends are produced with different
indicators, it was a lot to assimilate. author Brian Fuchs said that the percentages and temporal scales of
So Drought Monitor authors sought original objective blends served a drought indices that include the
to develop a tool that could help unique and helpful purpose, in that Standardized Precipitation Index, the
them. The author-led effort, which they provided authors with two Standardized Precipitation-
began during the first U.S. Drought maps that they could glance at that Evaporation Index and the NOAH Soil
Monitor Forum in 2000, led to the showed both short-term and long- Moisture index. Fuchs said the
creation of a weekly product that term drought conditions across the NDMC’s three U.S. Drought Monitor
would provide short-term and long- U.S. With only a few days to authors have been using the blends
term depictions of drought conditions synthesize numerous datasets into internally for several months to help
based on a weighted model that a single map that shows both short- make the USDM maps and they were
Winter | 2022
14 DROUGHTSCAPEshared internally with the full USDM further, and welcomed feedback and the short- and long-term scales at a
authoring group during the last suggestions from the drought finer resolution which could be
quarter of 2021. The new blends monitoring and climatology helpful in digging into the data
went public at the start of 2022, and communities on the new blends. further in an area,” Fuchs said.
can be found at ndmcblends.unl.edu. “With the NDMC’s effort, we The work associated with the
Fuchs said there are several pending hopefully will go back to utilizing the development of the new objective
research questions that will change blends [more] as they are providing blends was funded by USDA’s Office
the makeup of the blends even an idea of areas of drought on both of the Chief Economist. ❍
U.S. Drought Monitor feature provides emailed alerts
about county-level drought designations
NDMC Communications At the Drought Alert Request current conditions reached D3 in
site (available here), users select the Maricopa County, and then again if
T
he latest U.S. Drought Monitor county where they live, or any county conditions improved that led a
publishes on Thursday of interest to them in the 50 states. drought monitor author to remove
mornings at Then they select a degree of drought D3 conditions from Maricopa
droughtmonitor.unl.edu, where users for which they want to receive an County. The automated emails are
can find the weekly nationwide email alert. Selecting, for example, tied to the weekly release of the U.S.
snapshot of drought conditions, extreme drought (D3) conditions in Drought Monitor and are sent out
along with a set of maps, data and Maricopa County, Arizona, would Thursdays at 8 a.m. Central time. ❍
tools that give key context about result in an email being sent if
conditions where they live. Now you
can also have the latest local
information delivered to your inbox.
The National Drought Mitigation
Center offers county-level email
alerts when drought conditions
reach or recede from a specific
drought designation – moderate
drought (D1) to exceptional drought
(D4). The feature is called the
Drought Alert Request.
The product was developed in
2021 as part of the Drought Center’s
cooperative agreement with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and is one of several efforts to
increase accessibility of U.S.
Drought Monitor information for
users across the U.S. and its
territories. Other efforts have
included the development of tribal
area maps, state-level drought The Drought Alert Request provides county-level email alerts when
impact tables and Spanish-language drought conditions reach or recede from a specific drought designation.
editions of the Drought Monitor.
DROUGHTSCAPE
15 Winter | 2022Which reporting system is right for you
(and why are there so many)?
NDMC Communications
Condition Monitoring What’s new with
Observer Reports Condition
T
ools in the Drought Impacts
Monitoring
Toolkit –
droughtimpacts.unl.edu –
(CMOR)
gather and display what people are
saying about drought in different Users can report on dry or wet Observer Reports
locations. Several tools, described
below, are different ways for
conditions, with emphasis on
drought impacts, and can upload up (CMOR) for 2022?
individuals to share their to five photos. People are
experiences. The tools allow people encouraged to file CMOR reports at
regular intervals, to build a record
■ We have added a
with varying interests and block of questions
capabilities to provide information over time. Observers can submit via
a browser or mobile app. Anyone about wet and normal
related to assessing drought.
Comparing information from can submit an observation, with no conditions. This will
different sources provides context registration or training required. help users report
and validation. Learn more: go.unl.edu/ regularly in wet,
CMOR_drought. normal and dry
conditions.
■ The block of
agricultural questions
now asks users to rate
conditions on a scale
that the U.S.
Department of
Agriculture uses. Crop
and range production
questions include a
scale from very poor
to excellent. Crop
producers can also
check off information
on planting and
harvest status.
■ Identifying
information. Some
contributors don’t
want to be publicly
identified and others
do. The option to
provide a screen name
lets people choose.
■ Behind the scenes, we
are working with states
to allow them to tailor a
version of the form and
map for their needs,
Left: A new block of questions helps users report regularly in wet, normal and but with data still
dry conditions. flowing into a single
Right: CMOR users now have the option to provide a screen name that lets
database and onto a
people choose how or whether they would like to be identified. nation-wide map.
Winter | 2022
16 DROUGHTSCAPELeft: The Visual Drought Atlas allows users to access photos mapped by U.S. Drought Monitor status, by land use, or by a
subjective dry to wet assessment. Another tab shows a map linked to PhenoCam sites.
Right: Visual Drought Atlas observers are asked to check a box describing the landscape in their photo.
Visual Drought Atlas Community be visible to people assessing
drought in your state and across the
The National Drought Mitigation
Center and partners are working to
Collaborative Rain, Hail nation, appearing on our map of
drought-related tweets, put your city
create a photographic record of and Snow Network and state in the user location field of
(CoCoRaHS)
what different landscapes look like your Twitter profile and use
in dry, normal and wet years. The #drought in your tweet. Tweets that
NDMC is building on the trained Volunteer citizen scientists include your photos of field
volunteers and archive of Field Days install a special rain gauge and conditions and describe how dry or
photos developed by CoCoRaHS and record daily precipitation wet weather is affecting you are
the Southern Climate Impacts observations, using either a web particularly valuable.
Planning Program. We encourage browser or a mobile app. They have
volunteers to upload photos over
holidays weekends across the
the option to provide additional Support
condition monitoring observations
growing season, when they may be The Drought Impacts Toolkit
on the effects of dry or wet weather.
likely to be out with family and and the tools in it that are hosted by
The CoCoRaHS organization
friends. Upload photos here: the National Drought Mitigation
provides excellent community and
go.unl.edu/photoatlas Center have been developed with
educational messaging, often
Mark your 2022 calendars and support from the National Oceanic
reinforced by energetic state
plan a photo expedition: and Atmospheric Administration’s
coordinators.
■ Presidents’ Day: Feb. 21 Sectoral Applications Research
Learn more: cocorahs.org
■ Memorial Day: May 30 Program and the National Integrated
Tweets
■ Independence Day: July 4 Drought Information System, and
■ Labor Day: Sept. 5 from the U.S. Department of
Learn more: If you’d like to increase the odds Agriculture Office of the Chief
droughtimpacts.unl.edu/Tools/ that your drought-related tweets will Economist and Risk Management
VisualDroughtAtlas.aspx Agency. ❍
DROUGHTSCAPE
17 Winter | 2022Statewide use of CMOR system helps produce clear,
stark picture of 2021 North Dakota drought
By Cory Matteson National Drought Mitigation Center details on how they could provide
impacts researcher Kelly Helm Smith. valuable information to Drought
NDMC Communications Specialist
The CMOR-based process of Monitor authors by completing brief
providing on-the-ground information surveys that provide key context
F
rom April 1 to Oct. 31 of 2021,
no less than 30.2% of the Lower that Akyüz examined was markedly about current conditions. When users
48 experienced severe drought different from previous efforts to add written descriptions about the
(D2) or worse. Drought covered scores gather data across the 19th-largest conditions, and submit photos too, the
of states and several regions state with the fourth-smallest data becomes clearer. CMOR reports
throughout the growing season, and population and email it to USDM appear on an interactive map layer
the spatial scale was evidenced in the authors. One of those efforts, Akyüz that is visible to the general public and
1,550 on-the-ground dispatches said, involved weekly conference calls to U.S. Drought Monitor authors and
submitted to the Condition Monitoring with North Dakota’s 53 county to state experts such as Akyuz.
Observation Reports (CMOR) system. Extension agents. “She really did a great job in the
Californians, Wyomingites, “And I would end up synthesizing beginning of the season,” Akyüz said.
Minnesotans, Oregonians and that data ... to respond to the Drought “We knew 2020 was really bad,
residents of other drought-affected Monitor [with] a recommended drought especially in western North Dakota,
areas across the country shared status,” he said. “So, you can imagine and by the end of 2020, the moisture
condition reports and photographs to that would be very time-consuming.” was depleted and most ranches were
CMOR. But no state submitted reports From that, the process evolved to overgrazed.”
during the growing season at a rate having Extension agents submit Plus, with a La Niña winter,
close to that of North Dakota. weekly reports to Akyüz with a Google climatologists were anticipating a dry
North Dakotans submitted 803, Forms survey. He would then study the start to 2021.
more than half the nationwide total, forms and decide which reports to “We knew the trouble had an
overlapping with a period when the copy and paste into his weekly early start, so we started early,”
state experienced the worst drought recommendations. Akyüz said. “We started having
conditions it has experienced in the 21- “And that was better than the meetings in winter not only with the
year history of the U.S. Drought previous method, but still it wasn’t National Drought Mitigation Center
Monitor. For three weeks in May, nearly good enough. Then CMOR came.” but also with the state’s emergency
85% of the state was experiencing In early 2021, Akyüz and Miranda managers and the North Dakota
extreme drought (D3) or worse (the Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock Department of Agriculture.”
largest D3 coverage on record since environmental stewardship specialist, Smith said she appreciated the
2000). The top 29 weeks of D3 or invited Smith to speak to a virtual willingness of the Extension network to
worse coverage across North Dakota meeting of Extension agents about adopt a new system. Some
occurred in 2021, according to the how CMOR works. She provided downloaded and used a mobile app to
Drought Monitor.
A concentrated statewide effort
before the start of the growing season In 2021, North Dakota experienced the most extreme levels of drought
encouraged North Dakota Extension reported in the state since the creation of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Here are
specialists to contribute to CMOR, said how some of the 803 Condition Monitoring Observation Reports collected
Adnan Akyüz, North Dakota state during the growing season described what that looked like on the ground.
climatologist and professor of
climatological practice at North Dakota
Date: April 1, 2021
State University. Those 803 CMOR
submissions, he said, not only helped
provide valuable context that shaped
his weekly recommendations to U.S.
Drought Monitor authors but also County: Golden Valley
unlocked aid for the state’s producers
from federal assistance programs tied Description: Grasshoppers feeding
to the Drought Monitor. on a sunflower.
North Dakota’s season-long,
statewide effort to submit on-the-
ground drought condition reports
shows how the CMOR tool can help
researchers better understand
localized drought impacts, said
Winter | 2022
18 DROUGHTSCAPEsubmit reports, while others sent
information from their computers. “The
results from North Dakota in 2021
really demonstrated how effective it is
Date: July 26, 2021
County: Grant
to have a well-established network with
a clearly defined purpose making use
of the system,” Smith said. “Adnan and
Miranda did a great job of reminding Description: The conditions are
Extension specialists to submit weekly severely dry throughout the whole
reports, and they helped with some county and beyond. The southern
troubleshooting of the system, too.” part of the county originally was
For Akyüz, the CMOR archive doing better in terms of moisture
would greatly streamline data with significant rainfall received in
early June. But they have since eaten
synthesis while also allowing him to
through those moisture reserves. All
continue pointing out to Drought crops are burning up in the constant
Monitor authors important heat without any rainfall.
descriptions of drought from across
the state.
“It's a mutual benefit really,” Akyüz
said. “You're understanding how the
drought is affecting the local
conditions that appear on the map, and
also to help us identify the areas that
need more attention in real time. They
also provided the pictures, which is Date: Aug. 16, 2021
sometimes worth more than a million
words.” County: Walsh
When the growing season
concluded, county agents informed
Description: Producers are
producers that they could take a
planting into dry seedbeds.
break from CMOR, but Akyüz said
Pastures as a whole are very
that they will recommend that they short, brown and overgrazed.
use CMOR in future seasons. And Some cattle producers are
current CMOR reports, he said, will hauling water to livestock. They
help future county agents calibrate are running out of hay and the
subjective data. They will be able to pastures will not support
look at what reports were filed during animals.
portions of 2021 when areas of the
state were in exceptional or extreme
drought. In the middle of the
punishing 2021 drought, Akyüz left
Fargo to take a driving tour of some
of the areas of the state hardest hit
by drought. Talking to producers and objective data. It allowed me to producer assistance and aid
seeing the drought conditions for capture the concern of the very same programs were triggered by drought
himself provided context that other people that are impacted by the conditions experienced across parts
objective data cannot, he said. drought. It opened up my mind into of the state during the 2021 growing
“It was a tremendous help,” he the minds of the locals. And I think season, “and it’s all because of the
said. “I can look at the precipitation my job at that time was to make sure Drought Monitor map that was
departure from normal, for example, I that the Drought Monitor author feels driven by CMOR (submissions) and
can look at the soil moisture data just the same as I do in my office.” meteorological data,” he said.
like the Drought Monitor author can Every time the Drought Monitor “I made a point that their reports
do. But what I cannot see is (what I status for North Dakota changed, made a difference,” he said. “And
can learn by) tapping into local Akyüz created a PowerPoint then it was reinforced by the director
resources such as ranchers and presentation for county agents that of extension services how important
farmers. You’ve got to keep in mind included not just the changed map, their reports are, so they became
that 90% of the North Dakota but also bullet points that included twice as motivated to participate. I
economy depends on agriculture. We anecdotal objective data pulled from think (telling them) week after week
are less than 1 million population, and CMOR reports from a particular and letting them know that their
we are one of the largest states in the county or region where drought reports really makes a big difference
union, and agriculture is everything. status changed. When conditions in their community was the biggest
And listening to these reports allowed changed, responses were triggered. motivation factor for the agents to
me to see what I couldn’t see by Akyüz said that state and federal participate.” ❍
DROUGHTSCAPE
19 Winter | 2022You can also read
