Display as Outlines?
Layer Source: NDMC
Layer Source: NOAA/NCEP/CPC
Layer Source: NOAA/NCEP
Layer Source: USGS
Showing reports for the last 30 days.
Layer Source: CoCoRaHS
Layer Source: USGS EROS
The U.S. Drought Monitor is a weekly assessment of the extent and severity of drought in the United States. It’s a map released every Thursday, showing parts of the U.S. that are in drought, based on various sources of data collected through the previous week.
The GIS viewer allows users to view Drought Monitor data—from both the current and past weeks of the map—in an interactive interface containing various map layers. Users can select which ones to combine to create customized maps that meet their needs.
The interface allows users to overlay the weekly Drought Monitor with other relevant information. For example, users can view precipitation, temperature and drought outlooks from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Other layers users can view include streamflow data, current weather, vegetation stress and short-term drought conditions. Users can also view crowdsourced, geolocated condition reports from the previous 30 days from Condition Monitoring Observer Reports and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network.
The tool was developed through a cooperative agreement between the National Drought Mitigation Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase the accessibility and usability of the Drought Monitor.
Please note, the U.S. Drought Monitor is not a forecast. It’s a weekly assessment of drought conditions, through the Tuesday before the map comes out each week. The map is used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies to trigger disaster declarations and determine eligibility for loans and other assistance programs. These decisions are not made by the U.S. Drought Monitor authors or the National Drought Mitigation Center, and applications for assistance do not figure into the development of the Drought Monitor.
The U.S. Drought Monitor GIS Viewer is an interactive interface covering the entire U.S. In the menu, users can select whether to view the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map or earlier versions. The Drought Monitor uses six classifications: None (blank); abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or coming out of drought; and four levels of drought from moderate (D1) to exceptional (D4). Users can zoom to and pan across any area of interest.
Under "Reference," users can select from various geopolitical boundaries to view data on land ownership and jurisdiction. This includes political boundaries such as states, counties, tribal lands and federal lands, as well as agency designations, including National Weather Service regions and forecast offices.
The menu offers several other options from which users can select different layers and products to overlay on their map. The data source and legends for these different layers are included in the menu. The data that are currently available on the interface include: monthly drought outlooks from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); weekly to seasonal temperature and precipitation forecasts from NOAA; streamflow data from U.S. Geological Survey stream gauges; current precipitation data; VegDRI and QuickDRI maps produced by the Drought Center showing vegetation stress and short-term drought conditions; and crowdsourced, geolocated reports of current conditions from NDMC’s Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS).
After selecting the appropriate layers to meet their needs, users can export the map from the interface for their own uses.
Drought Monitor data is provided for the entire continental U.S., as well as Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. Individual data layers, however, are not all available for this entire area.
Currently, temperature and precipitation outlooks are not available for Puerto Rico. Current weather data is not available for California and much of the Northwest. QuickDRI and VegDRI maps only provide information for the continental U.S. CoCoRaHS and CMOR reports are only available for the previous 30 days on the USDM GIS Viewer and are an abbreviated version of the full reports.
The National Drought Mitigation Center’s mission is to reduce the effects of drought on people, the environment and the economy by researching the science of drought monitoring and the practice of drought planning. We collaborate with and learn from decision-makers at all levels – individual ranchers, communities, regions, watersheds, tribes, states, countries – across the US and around the world. We organize and present workshops, writeshops and other capacity-building activities, in close cooperation with local partners.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.
The Department of Commerce’s mission is to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities. Through its 13 bureaus, the Department works to drive U.S. economic competitiveness, strengthen domestic industry, and spur the growth of quality jobs in all communities across the country.
NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep the public informed of the changing environment around them.