The 2006-2007 Archive is currently being updated. New dates will be added as they become available.
VegDRI Highlights for November 16th, 2009
Western States
Most areas in the western regions are out of growing season in this period. Rainfall across western Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho and Montana resulted in a near-normal condition over areas that are in season. The southwestern states including southern California and Arizona remained in moderate to severe drought conditions.
Great Plains
Overall, most areas of the western and central United States regions are out of growing season in this period. Because of recent rains the winter-wheat areas of Oklahoma were in near normal condition. Over western Texas, the drought conditions continued to improve. As a result, areas which are in-season for this time period of the year in Texas are in near normal conditions.
Midwest
For areas which are in-season, the recent rain has helped to ease the long-term drought conditions over Minnesota, central and Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Northeast
The northeastern states including New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Maine remained in the near-normal or moist classes in the VegDRI map.
Southeast
Because of the tropical storm Ida, moderate to heavy rains alleviated the drought condition across the Atlantic coast states including the Carolinas. Moderate rain has also helped Florida, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama. However, moderate drought conditions observed over a few areas of Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
The National Drought Mitigation Center produces VegDRI in collaboration with the US Geological Survey's (USGS) Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS), and the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC), with sponsorship from the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA). Main researchers working on VegDRI are Dr. Brian Wardlow and Dr. Tsegaye Tadesse at the NDMC, and Jesslyn Brown with the USGS, and Dr. Yingxin Gu with ASRC Research and Technology Solutions, contractor for the USGS at EROS.
VegDRI maps are produced every two weeks and provide regional to sub-county scale information about drought's effects on vegetation. In 2006, VegDRI covered seven states in the Northern Great Plains (CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, SD, and WY). It expanded across eight more states in 2007 to cover the rest of the Great Plains (NM, OK, MO, and TX) and parts of the Upper Midwest (IA, IL, MN, and WI). VegDRI expanded to include the western U.S. in 2008 (WA, ID, OR, UT, CA, AZ, NV). In May 2009 VegDRI began depicting the eastern states as well, covering the entire conterminous 48-state area.
The VegDRI calculations integrate satellite-based observations of vegetation conditions, climate data, and other biophysical information such as land cover/land use type, soil characteristics, and ecological setting. The VegDRI maps that are produced deliver continuous geographic coverage over large areas, and have inherently finer spatial detail (1-km2 resolution) than other commonly available drought indicators such as the U.S. Drought Monitor.
VegDRI Highlights for November 16th, 2009
Western States
Most areas in the western regions are out of growing season in this period. Rainfall across western Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho and Montana resulted in a near-normal condition over areas that are in season. The southwestern states including southern California and Arizona remained in moderate to severe drought conditions.
Great Plains
Overall, most areas of the western and central United States regions are out of growing season in this period. Because of recent rains the winter-wheat areas of Oklahoma were in near normal condition. Over western Texas, the drought conditions continued to improve. As a result, areas which are in-season for this time period of the year in Texas are in near normal conditions.
Midwest
For areas which are in-season, the recent rain has helped to ease the long-term drought conditions over Minnesota, central and Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Northeast
The northeastern states including New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Maine remained in the near-normal or moist classes in the VegDRI map.
Southeast
Because of the tropical storm Ida, moderate to heavy rains alleviated the drought condition across the Atlantic coast states including the Carolinas. Moderate rain has also helped Florida, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama. However, moderate drought conditions observed over a few areas of Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
The National Drought Mitigation Center produces VegDRI in collaboration with the US Geological Survey's (USGS) Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS), and the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC), with sponsorship from the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA). Main researchers working on VegDRI are Dr. Brian Wardlow and Dr. Tsegaye Tadesse at the NDMC, and Jesslyn Brown with the USGS, and Dr. Yingxin Gu with ASRC Research and Technology Solutions, contractor for the USGS at EROS.
VegDRI maps are produced every two weeks and provide regional to sub-county scale information about drought's effects on vegetation. In 2006, VegDRI covered seven states in the Northern Great Plains (CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, SD, and WY). It expanded across eight more states in 2007 to cover the rest of the Great Plains (NM, OK, MO, and TX) and parts of the Upper Midwest (IA, IL, MN, and WI). VegDRI expanded to include the western U.S. in 2008 (WA, ID, OR, UT, CA, AZ, NV). In May 2009 VegDRI began depicting the eastern states as well, covering the entire conterminous 48-state area.
The VegDRI calculations integrate satellite-based observations of vegetation conditions, climate data, and other biophysical information such as land cover/land use type, soil characteristics, and ecological setting. The VegDRI maps that are produced deliver continuous geographic coverage over large areas, and have inherently finer spatial detail (1-km2 resolution) than other commonly available drought indicators such as the U.S. Drought Monitor.