Research to advance national drought monitoring and prediction capabilities

This report describes the state of the science and how the latest research has improved capabilities to monitor the current state of drought, predict its onset and evolution from weeks to seasons, and better understand why drought occurs. The purpose of the report is to communicate the crucial role NOAA research has played over the last decade in advancing the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) early warning system in the United States, how these improvements benefit the user community, and opportunities for further progress.