Graphic showing NOAA logo NCDC / Climate Mon. / Climate-2004 / Jan / U.S. Drought / Natl.Over. / Search / Help

Click here for graphic showing U.S. Department of Commerce logo and link to site Climate of 2004 - January
U.S. National Drought Overview

National Climatic Data Center, 13 February 2004

 Click here for graphic showing NOAA logo and link to site
Global Analysis / Global Hazards / United States / U.S. Drought / Regional Drought Overview / Extremes
Use these links to access detailed analyses of Global and U.S. data.

Click here to go to Top of Page National Overview

On the national scale,
  • severe to extreme drought affected about 18 percent of the contiguous United States as of the end of January 2004, an increase of about 1 percent compared to last month
  • about 28 percent of the contiguous U.S. fell in the moderate to extreme drought categories (based on the Palmer Drought Index) at the end of January
  • on a broad scale, the last two decades 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 (see graph below right)
  • about 9 percent of the contiguous U.S. fell in the severely to extremely wet categories at the end of January
  • a file containing the national monthly percent area severely dry and wet from 1900 to present is available
  • 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).
Click here for graphic showing U.S. Drought and Wet Spell Percent Area, 1996-present
larger image
Click here for graphic showing U.S. Drought and Wet Spell Percent Area, 1900-present
larger image

Precipitation Ranks for the
National (Contiguous U.S.) , 2003-2004
Period Rank
Jan 30th driest
Dec-Jan 40th driest
Nov-Jan 49th wettest
( 61st driest)
Oct-Jan 42nd driest
Sep-Jan 53rd driest
Aug-Jan 54th driest
Jul-Jan 47th driest
Jun-Jan 42nd wettest
( 68th driest)
May-Jan 32nd wettest
( 78th driest)
Apr-Jan 33rd wettest
( 77th driest)
Mar-Jan 37th wettest
( 73rd driest)
Feb-Jan 32nd wettest
( 78th driest)

 Click here for graphic showing precipitation departure and normal, January 1998 - present
larger image

Click here for graphic showing precipitation, 1895-2004
larger image

Click here to go to Top of Page 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
Click here to go to Top of Page
Graphic showing NOAA logo NCDC / Climate Mon. / Climate-2004 / Jan / U.S. Drought / Natl.Over. / Search / Help

http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2004/jan/drought-national-overview.html
Downloaded Tuesday, 24-Nov-2009 12:23:57 EST
Last Updated Wednesday, 20-Aug-2008 12:22:43 EDT by Richard.Heim@noaa.gov
Please see the NCDC Contact Page if you have questions or comments.