NCDC / Climate Mon. /
Climate-2006 / Sep / U.S. Drought / Help
Climate of 2006 - September U.S. Drought Watch National Climatic Data Center, 12 October 2006
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Global Analysis /
Global Hazards /
United States /
Extremes
Use these links to access detailed analyses of Global and U.S. data.
Contents Of This Report:
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National Overview
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- Based on the Palmer Drought Index,
severe to extreme drought affected about 14 percent of the contiguous United States as of the end of September 2006, a decrease of about 5 percent compared to last month.
By contrast, about 5 percent of the contiguous U.S. fell in the severely to extremely wet categories.
- About 29 percent of the contiguous U.S. fell in the
moderate to extreme drought categories (based on the Palmer Drought Index) at the end of September.
- On a broad scale, the previous two decades (1980s and 1990s) were characterized by unusual wetness with short periods of extensive droughts, whereas the 1930s and 1950s were characterized by prolonged periods of extensive droughts with little wetness (
moderate to extreme drought,
severe to extreme drought).
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- A file containing the national monthly percent area severely dry and wet from 1900 to present is available for the severe to extreme and moderate to extreme categories.
- Historical temperature, precipitation, and Palmer drought data from 1895 to present for climate divisions, states, and regions in the contiguous U.S. are available at the Climate Division: Temperature-Precipitation-Drought Data page in files having names that start with "drd964x" and ending with "txt" (without the quotes).
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Detailed Drought Discussion
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By the end of September, drought was concentrated in the northern Plains, Texas and northeastern Minnesota. Conditions had improved in most of the Southeast and in the Southwest (September 26 Drought Monitor). In the primary drought areas, soil moisture was low, evaporation was high, vegetative health was poor, and streamflow was low.
Drought impacted many sectors of the economy. Crops were highly stressed or dying, livestock was dying or prematurely sold because of a lack of feed and water, and water restrictions were common in many areas. Disaster conditions have been declared by the governors of several states. Texas ended its worst fire season, which began in January 2005, but burning bans continue in 103 counties. In Nebraska, drought is estimated to have cost the agricultural community $350 million. In South Dakota honey production was low, and wheat production was down 37 percent. Low flows in the Missouri River prematurely ended the navigation season, which usually ends around the beginning of December. A positive impact of drought was the improved rice crop in north central and northeastern Minnesota. Impacts in drought-stricken areas have been collected and summarized by county at the National Drought Mitigation Center's Drought Impact Reporter.
The September precipitation pattern at the primary stations in Alaska was below average across the interior of the state; the coastal stations were above average. In Hawaii dryness continued throughout most the State. In Puerto Rico the month was predominantly dry along the southern coast (based on National Weather Service radar estimates of precipitation).
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Some regional highlights:
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State/Regional/National Moisture Status
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Pre-Instrumental Perspective
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There is no September 2006 Paleoclimatic Perspective
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Drought Indicators
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The following indicators illustrate the drought conditions this month:
- Palmer Drought Indices,
- Standardized Precipitation Index,
- long-term (36 to 60 month) percent of normal precipitation maps,
- airport station percent of normal precipitation maps,
- statewide precipitation rank maps,
- Cooperative station percent of normal precipitation maps,
- percent of average maps for the SNOTEL stations in the western mountains provided by the Western Regional Climate Center
- satellite-based observations of vegetative health,
- National Weather Service model calculations of
- National Weather Service model calculations of soil moisture using the Leaky Bucket Model,
- Midwest Regional Climate Center model calculations of soil moisture,
- topsoil moisture conditions observed by the USDA and mapped by the Climate Prediction Center,
- pasture and range land conditions observed by the USDA and mapped by the Climate Prediction Center,
- streamflow maps maintained by the USGS.
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Additional Contacts:
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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:
Ned Guttman NOAA/National Climatic Data Center 151 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28801-5001 fax: 828-271-4328 email: Ned.Guttman@noaa.gov
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Richard Heim NOAA/National Climatic Data Center 151 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28801-5001 fax: 828-271-4328 email: Richard.Heim@noaa.gov
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Jay Lawrimore NOAA/National Climatic Data Center 151 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28801-5001 fax: 828-271-4328 email: Jay.Lawrimore@noaa.gov
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NCDC / Climate Mon. /
Climate-2006 / Sep / U.S. Drought / Help
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