U.S. Drought Monitor Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

A Dangerous Fire Season Is Looming As The Drought-Stricken West Heads Toward Water Crisis

By NWPB News May 18, 2021

File photo, March 2, 2020: Farmer Ben DuVal with his wife, Erika, and their daughters, Hannah, third from left, and Helena, fourth from left, stand near a canal for collecting run-off water near their property in Tulelake, Calif. Federal officials announced in April 2021 that farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project spanning the Oregon-California border will get 8% of the deliveries they need amid a severe drought. CREDIT: Gillian Flaccus/AP

Just about every indicator of drought is flashing red across the western U.S. after a dry winter and warm early spring. The snowpack is at less than half of normal in much of the region. Reservoirs are being drawn down, river levels are dropping and soils are drying out.Read More

Spring Forecast: An Already Bad Drought Worsens Across The West

By NWPB News March 22, 2021

U.S. Drought Monitor map of the U.S. West showing drought conditions for much of the southwest, with the best conditions in the Northwest

With nearly two-thirds of the United States abnormally dry or worse, the government’s spring forecast offers little hope for relief, especially in the West where a devastating megadrought has taken root and worsened.Read More

Low Snow To Snowmageddon: January Dumps Gave Needed Bump To Northwest’s Lagging Snowpack

By Courtney Flatt January 30, 2020

Map showing snowpack for Washington - Oregon - Idaho as of January 30, 2020

At the start of 2020, the situation looked dismal. After a dry start to the season, Washington and Oregon had less than half the amount of snow they’d normally see in the mountains. Then came the first few weeks of January. Read More

So Far, El Niño Winter Brings Lessened Snowpack And Water Worries To Northwest

By Anna King January 29, 2019

As of late January 2019, much of the Washington snowpack was under historical averages. CREDIT: USDA/NRCS

This warm El Niño winter in the region is worrying water managers and farmers. Many Washington and Oregon reservoirs aren’t filling up like they should, and snowpack levels are below average in many areas. Read More

Across The West, Much Is At Stake For Farmers In The Weekly Drought Map

By NPR News December 26, 2018

U.S. Drought map showing western U.S. for 12-20-2018

As drought has deepened across the West, much attention is paid to a colorful map that shows the hardest-hit areas. The scientists who update the map each week face enormous pressure to get it right.Read More

So Far, Not So Good For Northwest’s Winter Snowpack As Reservoirs Are Already Low

By Anna King December 7, 2018

The Northwest watershed shows areas of abnormal dryness to severe drought over 2018. CREDIT: U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR

This weekend and into next week the Northwest is set to get several blasts of winter weather. That’s welcome news for Washington and Oregon’s water experts. Both states are well below normal for snowpack for this time of year. Read More