U.S. Drought Monitor Workshop
Thursday, May 7, 3-4 p.m. EST
Details for online participation will be emailed in advance.
Learn about the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), the process behind it and how you can be part of it at a virtual workshop on May 7.
The USDM is a weekly map showing the location and intensity of drought across the U.S. Unlike weather maps, it is a look back in time, rather than a forecast. Each week, expert “authors” of the map start by reviewing data on precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, streamflow and much more to decide what if anything has changed. But it’s not a cookbook process. It also depends on a network of local experts, such as state climatologists and National Weather Service meteorologists, to interpret how physical conditions are affecting people and places across the country. It even incorporates observations from citizen scientists and crowdsourcing.
During the workshop, you will learn:
• More about the USDM process
• How you can contribute
• What programs the USDM triggers
• How state assessment teams can coordinate input to the USDM authors
You will also have a chance to ask questions and provide feedback to USDM authors.
This workshop is presented by the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), which is the academic partner and web host of the USDM. The USDM is a joint product of the NDMC, USDA, NASA, and NOAA.