National Drought Mitigation Center

Monitor

Jump to:

What is my Current Drought Situation?
- Use + to open tabs, choose from dropdown boxes, and learn more.
- Use to view map layers.
How Does this Year Compare to Last Year?
- Compare the current U.S. Drought Monitor with the map one-year ago. Use drop-downs to explore other time-frames.
What can I expect for forage production this year? Grass-Cast & State-Specific Forage Calculators
- Learn more about Grass-Cast and explore state-specific forage calculators.
Could I still get enough precipitation to change forage production expectations?
- See key precipitation months for your area and explore likelihood of receiving enough precipitation to change forage production expectations in the coming months.
What are my options for drought management?
- Explore drought management strategies recommended by grazing experts and resources available in your state (Great Plains).

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What is my Current Drought Situation?

Other Resources

Maps and Data on U.S. Commodities in Drought

How Does this Year Compare to Last Year?

State

Drought Classification

None
D0 (Abnormally Dry)

D1 (Moderate Drought)
D2 (Severe Drought)

D3 (Extreme Drought)
D4 (Exceptional Drought)

Use dropdown to select state. The default view is the current U.S. Drought Monitor map (left) and map from one-year ago (right). Use the dropdown boxes to compare other time periods.

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What can I expect for forage production this year? Grass-Cast & State-Specific Forage Calculators

Grass-Cast provides forage production projections based on three future precipitation scenarios (above-, near-, below-normal). Click on the images below to visit full Grass-Cast site where you can zoom into your local area of interest for more details.

Grass-Cast Great Plains

Grass-Cast Southwest

Other Resources

Eastern CO -Early Warning for Stocking Decisions in Eastern Colorado

NRCS Forage Production Curves (Ecological Site Descriptions)

North Dakota Forage Prediction Tool

South Dakota Drought Tool

What’s the likelihood of getting enough precipitation to change forage production expectations?

Critical Precipitation Months for Forage Production

Research shows that the months in gray are most important for receiving precipitation that affects forage growth. After this time, precipitation does not greatly change forage production expectations for the current year.

		Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep
Northern & Central Plains	Smart et al. (2019)
Colorado Plateau	Schwinning et al. 2004
Rocky Mountains	Personal communication — reference needed
Southwest (AZ & NM)	Personal communication — reference needed

	Northern & Central Plains	Colorado Plateau	Rocky Mountains	Southwest (AZ & NM)
	Smart et al. (2019)	Schwinning et al. 2004	Personal communication — reference needed	Personal communication — reference needed
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep

Learn more about setting target dates:
https://drought.unl.edu/ranchplan/DroughtBasics/KnowingWhenYoureinDrought.aspx

Seasonality of Precipitation

The likelihood of receiving precipitation varies month by month. The following tools may be useful for exploring what’s “normal” for your area in any given month or season.

Seasonal Precipitation Patterns

Explore how much precipitation your area receives each month
Select: Product Selection tab ->
Single-Station Products ->
Daily/Monthly Normals.
Use “Search” Station/Area Selection tab to find a station near you.
Select your station and then click the Go button.

SPI Explorer

Drought indices like the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) characterize wetness/dryness relative to how much precipitation a location normally receives and at what time of the year. If you are familiar with these indices, the SPI Explorer Tool (SPI-Precipitation Comparison tab) can be used to explore how much precipitation might be expected under “below normal”, “near normal”, and “above normal” outlooks during specific seasons, and also explore the likelihood of transitioning between dry and wet conditions between specific seasons (Drought Category Transitions tab)

Learn more about geographic differences in precipitation and forage growth:
https://drought.unl.edu/ranchplan/DroughtBasics/GeographyandDrought.aspx

What are my options for drought management?

Find resources and suggestions for adjusting forage supply and demand strategies during drought.

Developed in collaboration with USDA Climate Hubs and Extension partners, with funding by the USDA.

Contact

National Drought Mitigation Center
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

3310 Holdrege Street, Lincoln, 68583-0988
P.O. Box 830988, Lincoln, 68583-0988
(402) 472–6707
(402) 472-2946
ndmc@unl.edu

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December 18, 2024

Brief mentions October 2024

October 30, 2024

Drought Resilience +10 conference emphasizes proactive drought response

October 30, 2024

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Monitor

What is my Current Drought Situation?

Current drought conditions

U.S. Drought Monitor

Precipitation Compared to Normal

Outlooks

Drought Outlook

Precipitation Outlook

Temperature Outlook

Forage Production & Drought Stress — layers load slowly

Grassland Productivity Forecast (Grass-Cast) Info

Vegetation Drought Stress (VegDRI)

Impacts & Reports

CoCoRaHS Reports

Condition Monitoring Reports

Base Layers

States

Counties

RMA Regions

Tribal Lands

Federal Lands

USDA Climate Hubs

Other Resources

How Does this Year Compare to Last Year?

Drought Classification

What can I expect for forage production this year? Grass-Cast & State-Specific Forage Calculators

Grass-Cast Great Plains

Grass-Cast Southwest

Other Resources

What’s the likelihood of getting enough precipitation to change forage production expectations?

Critical Precipitation Months for Forage Production

Seasonality of Precipitation

What are my options for drought management?

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