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 NCDC / Climate Mon. / Climate-2003 / August / U.S. Drought / Regional Drought / Indicators / Search / Help
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Climate of 2003 - August
U.S. Drought Indicators
National Climatic Data Center, 12 September 2003
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Global Analysis /
Global Hazards /
United States /
U.S. Regional Drought /
U.S. Drought Indicators /
Extremes
Use these links to access detailed analyses of Global and U.S. data.
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The data presented in this drought report are preliminary. Ranks, anomalies, and percent areas may change as more complete data are received and processed.
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Several climate indicators are used to monitor drought in the United States. These indicators include:
- the Palmer Z Index, Palmer Drought Severity Index, and Palmer Hydrological Drought Index
- the one-month, two-month, three-month, six-month, nine-month, 12-month, and 24-month Standardized Precipitation Index
- maps showing the percent of normal precipitation for airport stations for the current month, last three months, and year-to-date
- the statewide precipitation ranks for current month (short-term) and 3-months, 6-months, and 12 months (longer-term)
- the percent of normal precipitation maps, based on Cooperative Network and other station reports, provided by the NOAA Regional Climate Centers (HPRCC)
- NOAA satellite observations of vegetation health are most effective during the warm season months. The end-of-August VHI (Vegetation Health Index) map showed a large area of vegetative stress from northern Mexico stretching across the Great Plains and into the southern Canadian prairies, then westward to the Great Basin and parts of the Pacific Northwest:
detailed map - climate division map
- the short-term surface wetness anomaly map computed by the National Climatic Data Center from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMI), a polar orbiting satellite with global coverage
- modeled runoff, evaporation, and soil moisture conditions as calculated by the National Weather Service
- modeled soil moisture conditions in the top and deeper soil layers as calculated by the Midwest Regional Climate Center
- the percent of average precipitation map for the water year to date for the SNOTEL stations in the western mountains provided by the Western Regional Climate Center
- the USGS August daily streamflow and monthly mean streamflow maps
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 For all climate questions other than questions concerning this report, please contact the National Climatic Data Center's Climate Services Division:
Climate Services Division
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4876
phone: 828-271-4800
email: ncdc.info@noaa.gov
For further information on the historical climate perspective presented in this report, contact:
Richard Heim
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4328
email: Richard.Heim@noaa.gov
-or-
Jay Lawrimore
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4328
email: Jay.Lawrimore@noaa.gov
NCDC / Climate Mon. / Climate-2003 / August / U.S. Drought / Regional Drought / Indicators / Search / Help
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2003/aug/drought-indicators.html
Downloaded Saturday, 04-Oct-2008 10:45:24 EDT
Last Updated Friday, 18-Nov-2005 14:11:44 EST by Richard.Heim@noaa.gov
Please see the NCDC Contact Page if you have questions or comments.
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