Drought likely to continue through spring in much of the West, according to 'Outlook' from WGA and NOAA
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The Outlook features predictions for drought conditions through June, including drought development in Northern California, a region that experienced one of its driest January-February periods on record this year. Additionally, the Outlook includes a snapshot of recent precipitation and snowpack measurements, as well as a summary of climate events from the winter season.
The Outlook also highlights key bills in Congress that can help western states prepare for drought and flooding. Already, Congress has demonstrated the importance of weather and climate monitoring by including a $150 million budget increase for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Continuing Resolution (CR) passed last week. The funding will support satellites, monitoring, and weather forecasting.
The Outlook is a quarterly publication that was developed by the WGA and NOAA after the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June 2011. WGA and NOAA have also co-sponsored two regional meetings, one in the Pacific Northwest and one in the Upper Missouri basin.
All of the maps and information presented in the Outlook are also available from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), which provides a number of online drought information tools at drought.gov. Western Governors were instrumental to the passage of NIDIS in 2006. NIDIS is currently up for reauthorization by Congress.
NOAA also releases region-specific Outlooks, including documents that focus on the Central Region, the Southern Great Plains, the Pacific Islands, and the Western Region.
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