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 NCDC / Climate Monitoring / Climate of 2001 / August / Search / Help
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Climate of 2001 - August
U.S. National Drought Overview
National Climatic Data Center, 17 September 2001
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Global Analysis / Global Regional / U.S. National / U.S. Regional / U.S. Drought / Extreme Events
Use these links to access detailed analyses of Global and U.S. data.
 National Overview
On the national scale,
- severe drought affected about 18 percent of the contiguous United States as of the end of August 2001;
- the total drought area has held steady at about 9 to 19 percent for the last eleven months (see graph below left);
- the coverage of the current drought peaked in August 2000 at about 36% of the contiguous U.S., which was as extensive as the major droughts of the last 40 years, but not as large as the "dust bowl" droughts of the 1930's and 1950's;
- on a broad scale, the last two decades were characterized by unusual wetness with short periods of extensive droughts, whereas the 1930's and 1950's were characterized by prolonged periods of extensive droughts with little wetness (see graph below right);
- although different parts of the U.S. have experienced unusually wet conditions during the last 23 months, there continues to be little change in the overall national wetness picture;
- the percentage of the nation severely wet has held steady at about three to eleven percent during this period (see graph below left);
- a file containing the national monthly percent area severely dry and wet from 1900 to present is available.
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| Although some areas of the U.S. had well above normal precipitation, many areas were very dry. August averaged slightly below normal when precipitation is integrated across the nation. Eleven of the last 25 months have averaged well below the normal, while only three averaged well above normal (see graph to right). National 2001 precipitation ranks:
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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 Monitoring / Climate of 2001 / August / Search / Help
http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2001/aug/drought-national-overview.html
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Last Updated Tuesday, 12-Jul-2005 10:52:30 EDT by Richard.Heim@noaa.gov
Please see the NCDC Contact Page if you have questions or comments.
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