As part of their year-end national climate recap, the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information reported on the stubbornness of extreme drought in the U.S. Southwest and Four Corners region in 2018.
The animated gif at right shows drought conditions across the contiguous United States every four weeks throughout 2018, starting with January 2 and ending with December 25. Places identified as “abnormally dry” are colored yellow, and increasing intensity of drought is shown in shades of orange to dark red.
According to NCEI’s report:
A large area of extreme to exceptional drought dominated the Southern Plains early in the year, before improving during the summer, when drought intensified across Oregon and adjacent parts of the Pacific Northwest and Great Basin. Large parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Oregon experienced drought throughout the vast majority of the year. Smaller parts of northern North Dakota, West Texas and Southern California did as well.
Continue reading at NOAA.
Image via NOAA.