NCDC: Climate of 2002 - August - Southwest Region Drought

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Climate of 2002 - August
Southwest Region Drought

National Climatic Data Center, 13 September 2002

This month marked the 15th consecutive month with precipitation near to much below normal, regionwide, for the Southwest. The long-term dryness has given the region the driest May-August to September-August seasons on record (see table below), as well as the most severe regional Palmer Drought Index in the last 102 years. However, since the Southwest is normally, for the most part, a desert climate, the impacts from the drought have varied considerably.

Precipitation Ranks for the
Southwest Region , 2001-2002
Period	Rank
Aug	12^th driest
Jul-Aug	6^th driest
Jun-Aug	4^th driest
May-Aug	1^st driest
Apr-Aug	1^st driest
Mar-Aug	1^st driest
Feb-Aug	1^st driest
Jan-Aug	1^st driest
Dec-Aug	1^st driest
Nov-Aug	1^st driest
Oct-Aug	1^st driest
Sep-Aug	1^st driest

Click here for graphic showing Southwest Region precipitation departures, January 1998 - present

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Click here for graphic showing Southwest Region Palmer Z Index, January 1998 - present

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Click here for graphic showing Southwest Region precipitation, August 1895-2002

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Click here for graphic showing Southwest Region Palmer Hydrological Drought Index, January 1900 - August 2002

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NCDC / Clim. Monitoring / Climate-2002 / Aug / U.S. Regional Drought / Search / Help

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