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<br />INTERMOUNTAIN WEST CLIMATE SUMMARY, JANUARY 2008 <br /> <br /> <br />u.s. Drought Monitor conditions as of 1/15/08 <br /> <br />The U.S. Drought Monitor (Figure 4) shows the highest <br />drought intensity in western Utah and western Wyoming. Low- <br />er drought intensity extends through the rest of Utah, central <br />Wyoming, and eastern Colorado, but the rest of Wyoming and <br />most of Colorado are not classified in drought status at this time. <br />Above average precipitation in Utah and parts of Colorado in <br />December helped decrease the drought status in southern Utah <br />and south-central Colorado since November (see inset). Due to <br />continued below average precipitation in eastern Colorado, the <br />southeast corner of the state is now categorized as abnormally <br />dry drought status (DO). <br />The NIDIS Drought Portal was released on November 1, <br />2007: http://www.drought.gov. The Drought Portal is a clear- <br />inghouse for drought information for the U. S., featuring climate <br /> <br />... - ... <br /> <br />~Q <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br />~~ <br />() <br /> <br /> <br />and hydrological data and forecasts, drought impacts, planning <br />resources, and educational tools. See the Focus Page (18) for <br />more information. <br /> <br />Notes <br />The U. S. Drought Monitor (Figure 4) is released weekly (ev- <br />ery Thursday) and represents data collected through the previous <br />Tuesday. The inset (lower left) shows the western United States <br />from the previous summary's map. <br />The U. S. Drought Monitor maps are based on expert as- <br />sessment of variables including (but not limited to) the Palmer <br />Drought Severity Index, soil moisture, streamflow, precipitation, <br />and measures of vegetation stress, as well as reports of drought <br />impacts. It is a joint effort of several agencies. <br /> <br />L-J <br /> <br />Drought Intensity <br />D DO Abnormally Dry <br />D 01 Drought - Moderate <br />02 Drought - Severe <br />03 Drought - Extreme <br />04 Drought - Exceptional <br /> <br /> <br />Drought Impact Types <br />~ Delineates dominant impacts <br />A = Agricultural (crops, pastures, grasslands) <br />H = Hydrological (water) <br />(No type = Both impacts) <br /> <br />Figure 4. Drought Monitor from January 15, 2007 (full size) and the last summary, <br />November 13, 2007 (inset, lower left) for comparison. <br /> <br />On the Web <br />· For the most recent Drought Monitor, visit: http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor/htmI.This site also includes archives of past <br />drought monitors. <br />· Drought Impact Reporter (National Drought Mitigation Center): http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/. <br />· NIDIS Drought Portal: http://www.drought.gov. <br /> <br /> <br />RECENT CONDITIONS I 7 <br />