National Climatic Data Center, 14 November 2002

U.S. Drought Highlights:

• On the national scale, severe to extreme drought affected about 28 percent of the contiguous United States as of the end of October 2002
  • moderate to extreme drought affected about 37 percent of the contiguous U.S.
• Short-term conditions improved across much of the country from the Rockies eastward, however long-term moisture deficits continued in parts of the central and southern Plains and much of the east coast
• Much of the far western U.S. continued to suffer from drought, both short-term and long-term

Contents Of This Report:

• National Overview
• Regional Drought Watch
  • Western U.S.
  • Central U.S.
  • Eastern U.S.
• Pre-Instrumental Paleoclimate Report
  • Northeast Arizona Paleoclimate Perspective
  • Yellowstone River Paleoclimate Perspective
• Palmer Drought Indices*
• Standardized Precipitation Index*
• Regional Precipitation Ranks*
• Statewide Precipitation Ranks*
• Weekly Drought Monitoring Tools*
• State/Regional Moisture Status*

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