NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Issued 11 March 2022
Please note that the values presented in this report are based on preliminary data. They will change when the final data are processed, but will not be replaced on these pages.
National Drought Highlights
- Based on the Palmer Drought Index, severe to extreme drought affected about 34% of the contiguous United States as of the end of February 2022, an increase of about 6% from last month. About 6% of the contiguous U.S. fell in the severely to extremely wet categories.
- About 52% of the contiguous U.S. fell in the moderate to extreme drought categories (based on the Palmer Drought Index) at the end of February.
- On a broad scale, the 1980s and 1990s were characterized by unusual wetness with short periods of extensive droughts, the 1930s and 1950s were characterized by prolonged periods of extensive droughts with little wetness, and the first two decades of the 2000s saw extensive drought and extensive wetness (moderate to extreme drought graphic, severe to extreme drought graphic).
- A file containing the national monthly percent area severely dry and wet from 1900 to present is available for the severe to extreme and moderate to extreme categories.
- Historical temperature, precipitation, and Palmer drought data from 1895 to present for climate divisions, states, and regions in the contiguous U.S. are available at the Climate Division: Temperature-Precipitation-Drought Data page. These filenames begin with "climdiv".
U.S. Drought Monitor information is currently unavailable.
Detailed Drought Overview
The upper-level circulation during February 2022 was very active with several shortwave troughs and closed lows moving through the jet stream flow. They moved through a long-wave pattern that was dominated by long-wave ridges located just off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. The specific location of the long-wave trough between the long-wave ridges shifted back and forth over the CONUS during the month. But the overall pattern deflected Pacific weather systems to the north and produced a drier northwest flow over the West that resulted in dry air dominating especially in the Southwest and central Plains. Much of the country west of the Mississippi River had a drier-than-normal month. The pattern produced a westerly to southwesterly flow east of the Mississippi. This flow tapped Gulf of Mexico moisture that fed fronts and surface lows, resulting in wetter-than-normal conditions from the Tennessee and Mid-Mississippi Valleys to the Northeast. With the storm track stuck along an Ohio Valley-to-New England axis, the Gulf of Mexico to Mid-Atlantic coasts were mostly drier than normal. The bracketing upper-level ridges gave the west and east coasts near- to warmer-than-normal temperatures for the month, while the upper-level trough and its associated surface fronts resulted in a mostly near- to cooler-than-normal month in between.
As a result of these conditions, drought or abnormal dryness expanded or intensified in parts of the West, across much of the central Plains to western Great Lakes, in parts of the western Gulf coast, and from Florida to the coastal Carolinas. The heaviest precipitation this month fell in areas that were not in drought. But enough precipitation fell in parts of the Plains (especially the southern and far northern Plains), Mid-Mississippi Valley, and southern Appalachians to reduce the intensity or contract drought and abnormal dryness. A wetter-than-normal month in Puerto Rico contracted drought and abnormal dryness across the island. In Hawaii, drought and abnormal dryness contracted in eastern portions of the Big Island but expanded or intensified on Kauai and Oahu. Drought expansion exceeded contraction with the USDM-based national moderate-to-exceptional drought footprint across the CONUS rising from 55.2 percent at the end of January to 59.2 percent at the end of February (from 46.3 percent to 49.6 percent for the 50 States and Puerto Rico). The greatest drought coverage for the CONUS in the USDM record was 65.5 percent on September 25, 2012. According to USDM statistics, 40 percent or more of the CONUS has been in moderate drought or worse for the last 75 weeks. This is a record in the 22-year USDM history. The previous record was 68 consecutive weeks (June 19, 2012 to October 1, 2013).
According to the Palmer Drought Index, which goes back to the beginning of the 20th century, about 51.9 percent of the CONUS was in moderate to extreme drought at the end of February, which is more than the end of January and more than the peak percent area in all of 2021. The last time 50 percent or more of the CONUS was in moderate to extreme drought was during the 2012-2013 drought. The percent area of the CONUS in moderate to extreme drought has hovered between roughly 35 and 52 percent for the last 18 months (since September 2020).
The impacts of the drought can be seen in several indicators, especially in the West, Plains, and Atlantic Coast. These include:
- dry soils (GRACE surface and root zone, VIC, CPC, and Leaky Bucket models; and crop CASMA topsoil and subsoil, SPoRT surface and deeper layers, and SMOS observations);
- low ground water levels (GRACE, USGS);
- some low streamflow levels (USGS);
- poor vegetation (VegDRI, NDVI); and
- the Quick Drought Response Index (QuickDRI).
- Many reservoir levels were low and falling in western Texas and much of the West (California; Washington; Oregon map 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Idaho map 1, 2, 3; Southwest map 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; westwide station percentile and station and basin percent of average map).
- Mountain snowpack in the West was low and steadily declining (percentile and percent of average), especially outside of the Colorado Rockies and Pacific Northwest.
- Numerous large wildfires developed in the southern Plains (especially eastern Oklahoma) early in the month, and spread to the Gulf Coast and Appalachians (Kentucky) at mid-month (wildfire maps for February 1, 5, 11, 15, 18, 25, 28). By February 24, over 7,000 fires had burned about 150,000 acres nationwide; both of these statistics are nearly twice the ten-year average for this time of year.
Drought conditions at the end of February, as depicted on the March 1, 2022 USDM map, included the following core drought and abnormally dry areas:
- Moderate (D1) to severe (D2) drought extended from the West Coast to Rocky Mountains and into the adjacent Great Plains, with a large areas of extreme (D3) to exceptional (D4) drought. As noted earlier, February's lack of precipitation compounded January's lack of precipitation to erase gains in mountain snowpack that were made in December (SNOTEL SWE maps for end of February compared to end of December). The January-February 2022 precipitation westwide is nearly as dry as the record dry January-February that occurred during the 1976-77 winter. The percent area of the West experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, according to USDM statistics, increased from 87.9 percent at the end of January to 90.4 percent at the end of February. The percent area of the West (from the Rockies to the West Coast) in moderate to extreme drought (based on the Palmer Drought Index) continued its rebound, reaching 87.6 percent at the end of February 2022, erasing the gains (lower percentages) made in response to the wet October and December 2021.
- The central to northern Plains experienced expanding or intensifying drought in many areas (especially Kansas and Nebraska) and contracting or less intense drought in other (northern) areas, while drought mostly contracted in the southern Plains to Lower Mississippi Valley. Exceptional drought continued in the Oklahoma panhandle to northeast New Mexico. For the central to northern Plains, the moderate to extreme drought area soared from 66.1 percent at the end of January to 79.3 percent at the end of February. In the southern Plains, moderate to exceptional drought shrank slightly from 85.8 percent at the end of January to 83.2 percent at the end of February. In the Lower Mississippi Valley, moderate to extreme drought rose slightly from 61.1 percent at the end of January to 62.5 percent at the end of February. Taken together, the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley (South Region) saw moderate to exceptional drought fall slightly from 69.8 percent at the end of January to 67.8 percent at the end of February.
- Moderate to severe drought continued in the Midwest, with the drought area expanding from 16.6 percent at the end of January to 19.3 percent at the end of February. Drought contracted in northern Minnesota but expanded from Iowa to Lower Michigan.
- Moderate to severe drought persisted in the Northeast, hovering at about 2.0 percent of the region. What little drought remained was in northern Maine and New Hampshire. New Hampshire has experienced some degree of drought since June 23, 2020; this 89-week stretch is a USDM record for the state.
- Above-normal precipitation in western North Carolina and Virginia contracted drought and abnormal dryness, but dry conditions further south expanded drought and abnormal dryness. In the Southeast, the drought area rebounded from 4.9 percent at the end of January to 13.3 percent at the end of February.
- In Hawaii, some contraction of drought and abnormal dryness occurred in eastern portions of the Big Island, but drought expanded or intensified on Kauai and Oahu. In spite of a drier-than-normal February, the drought area shrank slightly from 81.4 percent of the state at the end of January to 79.2 percent of the state at the end of February.
- In the Caribbean, a wetter-than-normal month shrank drought and abnormal dryness on Puerto Rico, with the drought area decreasing from 39.0 percent at the end of January to 4.7 percent at the end of February. Wet conditions in February decreased drought intensity in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), where extreme drought improved to severe drought on St. Croix and severe drought improved to moderate drought on St. John. Extreme drought continued on St. Thomas.
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In the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI), compared to last month:
- severe drought improved to moderate drought at Kwajalein, but extreme drought continued at Wotje and moderate drought continued at Ailinglaplap, abnormal dryness continued on Majuro and Mili, and abnormal dryness developed on Jaluit (in the Marshall Islands);
- severe drought developed at Fananu and moderate drought developed on Woleai and at Chuuk Lagoon, while abnormal dryness ended at Kapingamarangi and Nukuoro (Federated States of Micronesia); and
- abnormal dryness continued on Saipan, returned to Guam, and began at Rota (Marianas).
Palmer Drought Index
The Palmer drought indices measure the balance between moisture demand (evapotranspiration driven by temperature) and moisture supply (precipitation). The Palmer Z Index depicts moisture conditions for the current month, while the Palmer Hydrological Drought Index (PHDI) and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) depict the current month's cumulative moisture conditions integrated over the last several months.
While both the PDSI and PHDI indices show long-term moisture conditions, the PDSI depicts meteorological drought while the PHDI depicts hydrological drought. The PDSI map may show less severe and extensive drought (as well as wet spell conditions) in some parts of the country than the PHDI map because the meteorological conditions that produce drought and wet spell conditions are not as long-lasting as the hydrological impacts.
Used together, the Palmer Z Index and PHDI maps show that short-term drought occurred across much of the West, from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic coast, and over parts of the Plains, expanding or intensifying drought (PHDI maps for February compared to January). Short-term wet conditions in the Northeast reduced long-term drought in New England, and from the Tennessee and Mid-Mississippi Valleys to the Northeast expanded or intensified long-term wet conditions.
Standardized Precipitation Index
The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) measures moisture supply. The SPI maps here show the spatial extent of anomalously wet and dry areas at time scales ranging from 1 month to 24 months.
The SPI maps illustrate how moisture conditions have varied considerably through time and space over the last two years. Dryness covered much of the West at the 1-, 2-, 12-, and 24-month time scales, and parts of the West at the intervening time scales. The central Plains to western Great Lakes were dry for the last 1 to 3 months, and partially at the 9- to 12-month time scales. The southern Plains has widespread dryness at 2 to 9 months. Parts of the northern Plains are dry at all time scales. Much of the Gulf of Mexico to Mid-Atlantic coast is dry at 1 to 6 months. The Mid-Atlantic to southern New England coast is dry at 3 months. Parts of the Carolinas and Virginia are dry at 6 to 12 months. Northern New England is dry at the 12- to 24-month time scales. Wet conditions dominate the northern Plains at 3 to 6 months, coastal Washington at 6 to 9 months, parts of the Northeast at 1- and 6- to 24-month time scales, the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys at all time scales, and parts to most of the Gulf Coast at 9 to 24 months. An interesting pattern continues at the 24-month time scale — very dry conditions dominate across the West to northern Plains, while very wet conditions dominate the Deep South to Atlantic Coast.
Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index
The SPI measures water supply (precipitation), while the SPEI (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index) measures the combination of water supply (precipitation) and water demand (evapotranspiration as computed from temperature). Warmer temperatures tend to increase evapotranspiration, which generally makes droughts more intense.
For the Northern Hemisphere, February marks the end of climatological winter, which is the coldest season when evapotranspiration is minimal. During February 2022, temperatures were near to above normal along the East and West Coasts, but near to cooler than normal across the bulk of the nation in between. The last two months (January-February) had much warmer-than-normal temperatures along the West Coast but temperatures were near to below normal (with some areas of above normal) for the rest of the CONUS, and those anomalies were not far from normal. Abnormally warm temperatures in December gave much of the southern and eastern tier states a warmer-than-normal December-February, and a warm November gave much of the country a warmer-than-normal November-February, especially in the central Plains. As a result of near to cooler-than-normal temperatures during the cold part of the year, the SPEI anomalies for the last three months were similar to the SPI anomalies. But warmer-than-normal anomalies earlier contributed to the 4-month SPEI drought index being more severe than the corresponding SPI drought index, especially in the central Plains (SPEI maps for last 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 months) (SPI maps for last 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 months).
Nebraska had a record dry November-February SPEI in 2022, while the corresponding SPI was dry but not record dry. California had the driest and ninth warmest January-February in the 1895-2022 record, resulting in the driest SPEI and SPI for January-February.
Much of the West has been excessively warm for the last 10 to 30 years. The region has also been persistently drier than the long-term average. The combination of above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation has resulted in SPEI values that are consistently more severe than the corresponding SPI values at the 1- to 6-year time scales (SPEI maps for last 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 months) (SPI maps for last 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 months).
The heat has compounded the dryness in the Pacific Northwest that has happened over the last 1 to 2 years to give Oregon record drought. The SPEI in Oregon is record dry at the 12- and 24-month time scales whereas the corresponding SPI is dry but not record dry (SPEI for last 12 and 24 months) (SPI for last 12 and 24 months).
As mentioned earlier, January and February 2022 have been extremely dry across much of the West (from the Rockies to the West Coast). Regionwide, both February and January-February 2022 ranked second driest in the 1895-2022 record. The area-averaged precipitation across the Western U.S. for January-February 2022 (based on preliminary data) was 2.20 inches, nearly as dry as January-February 1977 (2.18 inches) which occurred during the extreme drought of 1976-1977. Even with the above-normal precipitation of October and December 2021, December 2021-February 2022 still ranks as the 24th driest winter while September 2021-February 2022 ranks 40th driest. The last 12 months (March 2021-February 2022) rank eighth driest. March 1976-February 1977 ranks as the driest March-February period out of the last 127 years, but last year's March 2020-February 2021 ranks second driest. When the last two years (March 2020-February 2021 and March 2021-February 2022) are combined, March 2020-February 2022 is the driest such 24-month period on record. Several years from the 2000s are included in the top eleven driest March-February 24-month periods:
- March 2020-February 2022
- March 1928-February 1930
- March 1929-February 1931
- March 2000-February 2002
- March 1975-February 1977
- March 2001-February 2003
- March 2019-February 2021
- March 1989-February 1991
- March 1999-February 2001
- March 2007-February 2009
- March 2008-February 2010
Regional Discussion
Hawaii
February 2022 was drier than normal across Hawaii, and the last 2 months were drier than normal across most of the state. A wet December 2021 resulted in wetter-than-normal conditions dominating at the 3- to 6-month time scales, but drier-than-normal conditions were evident at a growing number of stations on Kauai and eastern parts of the Big Island during this period. A mixed precipitation anomaly pattern dominated at the 8- to 9-month time scales, with drier-than-normal anomalies becoming more numerous than wet anomalies by 11 months. Wet conditions again became dominant at the 12-month time scale except in northern parts of the Big Island. At 24 months, it was drier than normal from northern parts of the Big Island to Molokai and wetter than normal elsewhere. The drier-than-normal region expanded a little more at 36 months, while wetter-than-normal conditions dominated at longer time scales (last 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 months) (climate engine model percent of normal precipitation map for the last month). Monthly streamflow was below normal at most streams across the islands. Patches of severe drought developed on Kauai and Maui, with moderate drought across most of the rest of the state. The overall drought footprint shrank slightly to 79.2 percent on the March 1st USDM map. Drought impacts included:
- drying pastures on the lower leeward Kohala slopes on the Big Island, the lower southern slopes of Kauai, and parts of the Kona slopes; and
- low streamflow levels in portions of Maui and Kauai.
Alaska
February 2022 was drier than normal at most locations in northern Alaska but wetter than normal over the southern half of the state. For February and January-February, a few wetter-than-normal stations were mixed in with the drier-than-normal stations, and this resulted in climate division values which reflected the wet stations. Wetter-than-normal conditions dominated the state for the winter (December-February), except in parts of the Aleutian chain, Cook Inlet, and Northwest Gulf regions. This anomaly pattern persisted through the 4- to 36-month time scales, with drier-than-normal stations extending into the panhandle at longer time scales (low elevation station precipitation anomaly maps for the last 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 months) (high elevation SNOTEL station precipitation anomaly maps for February 2022 and October 2021-February 2022) (SNOTEL basin precipitation anomaly map for October 2021-February 2022) (climate division precipitation rank maps for the last 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months) (climate engine model percent of normal precipitation map for the last month) (Leaky Bucket model precipitation percentile map).
February temperatures were generally cooler than normal in northern Alaska and warmer than normal in the south from the Aleutians to the panhandle. The last 2 months had a similar pattern. At the 3-month time scale, the panhandle was near to cooler than normal and the warmer-than-normal area expanded northward into central regions. At the 4- to 12-month time scales, near to cooler-than-normal temperatures dominated except in the far Aleutians which were warmer than normal (low elevation station temperature anomaly maps for the last 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12 months) (climate division temperature rank maps for the last 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months) (Leaky Bucket model temperature percentile map). End-of-February satellite-based and SNOTEL station and basin observations of snow water equivalent (SWE) in snowpack was mostly near to above normal with some below-normal locations.
Monthly streamflow (for those streams that were not frozen) was mostly near to above normal. There was no drought or abnormal dryness in Alaska on the March 1st USDM map.
Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
January and February 2022 were wetter than normal across most of Puerto Rico (PR) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Drier-than-normal conditions were evident in northwest, southern, and eastern parts of PR, and in St. Thomas, at the 3-month time scale. They became more widespread in PR and across the USVI at the 4- to 8-month time scales, and persisted up to the last 48 months. Wetter-than-normal conditions prevailed at the 60-month time scale (radar-based precipitation anomaly estimates for the last 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12 months) (low elevation station precipitation maps for the last 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 months) (climate engine model percent of normal precipitation map for the last month: PR and USVI, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico region).
Root zone analyses indicated that soil conditions were dry along the southern and northwestern coasts and eastern interior regions of PR (root zone soil saturation fraction; relative soil moisture at 0-10 cm [0-4 in], 10-40 cm [4-16 in], 40-100 cm [16-39 in], 100-200 cm [39-79 in] depth). Monthly streamflow was near to above normal across most of PR. Groundwater on the USVI rose early in the month with widespread heavy showers, but it has declined steadily throughout the month since then (groundwater charts for 2022 for St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas). The groundwater level on St. Croix in February reached a new record low value compared to the 2016-2022 record. The February values at St. John and St. Thomas were very low but had not reached record low values based on the 2016-2022 period. The above-normal rains during February ended severe drought on PR and shrank the drought area from 39.0 percent (in moderate to severe drought) at the end of January to 4.7 percent of the territory (in moderate drought) at the end of February. In the USVI, with extreme drought continued on St. Thomas, but extreme drought improved to severe drought on St. Croix, and severe drought improved to moderate drought on St. John.
CONUS State Precipitation Ranks
February 2022 was drier than normal across most of the West and Great Plains, much of the Midwest, and along the Gulf of Mexico Coast to Mid-Atlantic coast, with record dry conditions occurring locally in the central Plains and parts of the West. Twenty-two states had a precipitation rank in the driest third of the 128-year historical record for February, including nine in the top ten driest category — California and Nebraska (both second driest), Nevada (third driest), Wyoming (fourth driest), Iowa (fifth driest), Idaho and Oregon (both eighth driest), Utah (ninth driest), and Florida (tenth driest).
The year to date (January-February 2022) was drier than normal across the same areas as February (except the Mid-Atlantic coast), with record dry conditions occurring locally in the same places — central Plains and parts of the West. Like February, 22 states had a precipitation rank in the driest third of the 1895-2022 historical record, including six in the top ten driest category — California, Nevada, and Nebraska (all three driest on record); Utah (third driest); Oregon (seventh driest); and Iowa (tenth driest).
The last three months (December 2021-February 2022) were drier than normal across the same areas as February and January-February, except the dryness extended up the entire Atlantic coast, with record dry conditions occurring locally in parts of the central Plains and South. Twenty-three states had a precipitation rank in the driest third of the historical record, including four in the top ten driest category — Louisiana (third driest), Nebraska (fourth driest), Kansas (fifth driest), and Texas (eighth driest).
The last six months (September 2021-February 2022) were drier than normal across the western Great Lakes to central and southern Great Plains, parts of the West, and from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic Coast, with record dry conditions occurring locally in the Texas panhandle. Eighteen states had a precipitation rank in the driest third of the historical record, including two in the top ten driest category — Louisiana (seventh driest) and Texas (eighth driest).
The last 12 months (March 2021-February 2022) were drier than normal across much of the West, parts of the western Great Lakes to Great Plains, the Mid-Atlantic Coast, and northern New England. Fifteen states had a precipitation rank in the driest third of the historical record, including three in the top ten driest category — Oregon (sixth driest), Montana (seventh driest), and Idaho (eighth driest).
Agricultural Belts
During February 2022, the Primary Hard Red Winter Wheat agricultural belt was cooler and mostly drier than average. The month ranked as the 45th coolest and 23rd driest February, regionwide, in the 1895-2022 record.
October marks the beginning of the growing season for the Primary Hard Red Winter Wheat belt. October 2021-February 2022 was warmer and drier than normal. The period ranked as the ninth warmest and 15th driest October-February, regionwide, on record.
As of March 1, 2022, drought affected approximately 83 percent of sorghum production, 73 percent of winter wheat production, 71 percent of barley production, 67 percent of the sheep inventory, 62 percent of the cattle inventory, 56 percent of the milk cow inventory, 53 percent of cotton production, 50 percent of hay acreage, 47 percent of rice production, 41 percent of spring wheat production, 34 percent of corn production, and 25 percent of soybean production. Based on February 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, soil moisture was short or very short (dry or very dry), and crops and pasture and rangeland were in poor to very poor condition, in the following states:
U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands
The NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) offices, the Pacific ENSO Applications Climate Center (PEAC), and partners provided reports on conditions across the Pacific Islands.
In the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) (maps — Federated States of Micronesia [FSM], Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands [RMI], Republic of Palau, American Samoa, basinwide), February 2022 was drier-than-normal in the Marianas, northern parts of the RMI, and parts of the FSM. It was near to wetter than normal across Palau, American Samoa, southern RMI, and other parts of the FSM.
Monthly precipitation amounts were below the monthly minimum needed to meet most water needs (4 inches in the Marianas and Pago Pago, and 8 inches elsewhere) across the Marianas, across the RMI (except Majuro and Mili), and in western, central, and northern portions of the FSM. February precipitation was above the monthly minimums at the rest of the stations across the USAPI. The 4- and 8-inch thresholds are important because, if monthly precipitation falls below the threshold, then water shortages or drought become a concern.
The tropical Pacific climatology can experience extremes in precipitation, from very low precipitation during the dry season to very high precipitation during the wet season. This can result in monthly normal precipitation values that are different from the monthly minimum needed to meet most water needs, and this can lead to percent of normal values that seem odd. This was the case during February 2022, which is in the dry season for most locations in Micronesia. Precipitation was below the monthly minimum but above normal (1981-2010 normal), because the normals are low, at:
- Kwajalein: February 2022 precipitation 6.45 inches, February normal mean 3.30 inches, February normal median 2.64 inches
- Ailinglaplap: February 2022 precipitation 6.70 inches, February normal mean 4.92 inches
- Yap: February 2022 precipitation 6.36 inches, February normal mean 5.99 inches, February normal median 5.19 inches
- Ulithi: February 2022 precipitation 7.45 inches, February normal mean 4.80 inches
At some stations, the dry season is not as pronounced (Kosrae, Mili), or this is the wet season (Nukuoro), so the normal monthly precipitation is above the 8-inch monthly minimum. Precipitation was above the monthly minimum but below normal at:
- Mili: February 2022 precipitation 8.12 inches, February normal mean 9.08 inches
- Kosrae: February 2022 precipitation 9.93 inches, February normal mean 13.60 inches, February normal median 12.93 inches
- Nukuoro: February 2022 precipitation 8.65 inches, February normal mean 13.30 inches
In the table below, the station identified as Koror is Palau International Airport (Airai).
| Station Name | Mar 2021 | Apr 2021 | May 2021 | Jun 2021 | Jul 2021 | Aug 2021 | Sep 2021 | Oct 2021 | Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | Jan 2022 | Feb 2022 | Mar- Feb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuuk | 223% | 55% | 244% | 60% | 135% | 48% | 143% | 138% | 112% | 149% | 39% | 39% | 110% |
| Guam NAS | 130% | 119% | 210% | 82% | 86% | 105% | 92% | 233% | 134% | 87% | 146% | 42% | 103% |
| Kapingamarangi | 78% | 150% | 129% | 72% | 99% | 52% | 40% | 30% | 29% | 148% | 94% | 131% | 81% |
| Koror | 119% | 287% | 178% | 56% | 73% | 101% | 164% | 233% | 70% | 155% | 113% | 124% | 119% |
| Kosrae | 194% | 106% | 154% | 194% | 166% | 67% | 107% | 129% | 122% | 160% | 74% | 77% | 109% |
| Kwajalein | 264% | 174% | 126% | 67% | 82% | 35% | 105% | 98% | 128% | 56% | 40% | 244% | 97% |
| Lukonor | 84% | 134% | 238% | 105% | 41% | 63% | 94% | 64% | 145% | 152% | 142% | 58% | 94% |
| Majuro | 228% | 135% | 285% | 84% | 84% | 91% | 111% | 119% | 130% | 77% | 61% | 128% | 122% |
| Pago Pago | 91% | 76% | 80% | 212% | 84% | 145% | 51% | 47% | 124% | 61% | 115% | 150% | 87% |
| Pohnpei | 216% | 77% | 152% | 141% | 93% | 66% | 105% | 95% | 174% | 96% | 76% | 182% | 117% |
| Saipan | 46% | 77% | 120% | 158% | 123% | 83% | 85% | 100% | 138% | 141% | 123% | 63% | 100% |
| Yap | 189% | 316% | 109% | 86% | 67% | 87% | 93% | 107% | 64% | 145% | 150% | 123% | 106% |
| Station Name | Mar 2021 | Apr 2021 | May 2021 | Jun 2021 | Jul 2021 | Aug 2021 | Sep 2021 | Oct 2021 | Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | Jan 2022 | Feb 2022 | Mar- Feb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuuk | 18.55" | 6.86" | 27.53" | 7.00" | 16.13" | 6.20" | 16.70" | 15.86" | 11.89" | 16.79" | 3.93" | 2.86" | 150.3" |
| Guam NAS | 2.70" | 3.02" | 7.14" | 5.08" | 8.76" | 15.44" | 11.61" | 26.68" | 9.87" | 4.47" | 5.84" | 1.28" | 101.89" |
| Kapingamarangi | 8.91" | 20.44" | 15.53" | 9.95" | 14.01" | 4.26" | 3.98" | 2.46" | 2.66" | 14.57" | 8.58" | 12.19" | 117.54" |
| Koror | 8.84" | 21.03" | 21.06" | 9.87" | 13.55" | 13.66" | 19.33" | 27.58" | 7.95" | 17.35" | 11.49" | 10.64" | 182.35" |
| Kosrae | 31.20" | 18.63" | 27.37" | 28.33" | 24.77" | 9.48" | 15.27" | 14.15" | 16.81" | 25.70" | 12.33" | 9.93" | 233.97" |
| Kwajalein | 6.21" | 9.17" | 8.45" | 4.61" | 8.05" | 3.43" | 11.30" | 10.97" | 14.47" | 3.74" | 1.25" | 6.45" | 88.1" |
| Lukonor | 7.81" | 15.21" | 27.86" | 12.26" | 6.61" | 8.83" | 9.50" | 7.25" | 13.20" | 17.10" | 11.94" | 5.16" | 142.73" |
| Majuro | 15.00" | 12.71" | 28.81" | 9.28" | 9.42" | 10.60" | 12.41" | 15.12" | 17.42" | 8.76" | 4.73" | 8.79" | 153.05" |
| Pago Pago | 9.68" | 7.14" | 7.71" | 11.32" | 4.64" | 7.82" | 3.33" | 4.38" | 12.58" | 7.83" | 15.39" | 17.94" | 109.76" |
| Pohnpei | 28.50" | 14.18" | 30.38" | 20.95" | 14.30" | 9.35" | 13.18" | 14.57" | 25.82" | 15.49" | 9.98" | 17.42" | 214.12" |
| Saipan | 0.86" | 2.02" | 2.85" | 5.71" | 10.94" | 10.95" | 8.62" | 10.63" | 7.76" | 5.41" | 3.12" | 1.62" | 70.49" |
| Yap | 8.63" | 17.78" | 8.59" | 10.35" | 10.13" | 12.84" | 12.55" | 13.00" | 5.68" | 12.31" | 9.57" | 6.36" | 127.79" |
| Station Name | Mar 2021 | Apr 2021 | May 2021 | Jun 2021 | Jul 2021 | Aug 2021 | Sep 2021 | Oct 2021 | Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | Jan 2022 | Feb 2022 | Mar- Feb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuuk | 8.32" | 12.47" | 11.30" | 11.66" | 11.98" | 12.86" | 11.71" | 11.51" | 10.61" | 11.25" | 10.10" | 7.25" | 136.77" |
| Guam NAS | 2.07" | 2.53" | 3.40" | 6.18" | 10.14" | 14.74" | 12.66" | 11.44" | 7.38" | 5.11" | 4.01" | 3.03" | 99.09" |
| Kapingamarangi | 11.43" | 13.64" | 12.08" | 13.78" | 14.15" | 8.13" | 9.93" | 8.19" | 9.27" | 9.84" | 9.15" | 9.27" | 145.85" |
| Koror | 7.44" | 7.32" | 11.83" | 17.48" | 18.53" | 13.50" | 11.77" | 11.84" | 11.39" | 11.16" | 10.18" | 8.56" | 152.90" |
| Kosrae | 16.06" | 17.51" | 17.75" | 14.64" | 14.91" | 14.22" | 14.22" | 10.94" | 13.83" | 16.11" | 16.67" | 12.93" | 213.87" |
| Kwajalein | 2.35" | 5.26" | 6.72" | 6.93" | 9.87" | 9.74" | 10.74" | 11.18" | 11.28" | 6.66" | 3.16" | 2.64" | 90.41" |
| Lukonor | 9.26" | 11.31" | 11.69" | 11.65" | 15.93" | 14.04" | 10.15" | 11.32" | 9.08" | 11.27" | 8.41" | 8.93" | 151.36" |
| Majuro | 6.58" | 9.42" | 10.11" | 11.01" | 11.17" | 11.69" | 11.17" | 12.73" | 13.44" | 11.39" | 7.74" | 6.88" | 125.25" |
| Pago Pago | 10.68" | 9.39" | 9.66" | 5.33" | 5.55" | 5.38" | 6.53" | 9.26" | 10.14" | 12.84" | 13.34" | 12.00" | 125.57" |
| Pohnpei | 13.17" | 18.41" | 19.96" | 14.81" | 15.43" | 14.26" | 12.55" | 15.27" | 14.83" | 16.08" | 13.18" | 9.55" | 182.36" |
| Saipan | 1.89" | 2.63" | 2.38" | 3.62" | 8.91" | 13.13" | 10.09" | 10.62" | 5.61" | 3.85" | 2.53" | 2.59" | 70.25" |
| Yap | 4.56" | 5.63" | 7.85" | 12.04" | 15.08" | 14.82" | 13.50" | 12.18" | 8.83" | 8.51" | 6.39" | 5.19" | 120.31" |
As measured by percent of normal precipitation, no stations were drier than normal in the short term (February, the year-to-date [January-February], and the last 3 months [December 2021-February 2022]) and long term (last 12 months [February 2021-January 2022]). Chuuk, Guam, and Kosrae were drier than normal in the short term and near to wetter than normal in the long term. Lukunor was near to wetter than normal at the 3-month time scale but drier than normal at the other three time scales. Majuro and Saipan were drier than normal at two of the three short-term time scales and near to wetter than normal at the other two time scales. Kapingamarangi and Kwajalein were drier than normal in the long term and one of the short-term time scales, but wetter than normal at the other two time scales. Pago Pago was drier than normal in the long term and wetter than normal in the short term. Airai, Pohnpei, and Yap were near to wetter than normal at all four time scales.
Based on percent of normal average (instead of normal median values), in the Marianas Islands, precipitation during February was below normal on Guam and Rota and at most of the stations on Saipan. This anomaly pattern held for the last 2-4 months. Above-normal anomalies spread onto Guam at the 5-month time scale, and this pattern held through 60 months, except for the 36-month time scale when below-normal anomalies dominated the islands (percent of normal precipitation maps for the last 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 months).
Based on percent of normal average (instead of normal median values), in the Marshall Islands, precipitation during February was below normal in the southwest and northeast regions but above normal elsewhere. At the 2-month time scale, drier-than-normal conditions dominated across the region. Precipitation was drier than normal on most islands except the southwest at the 3-month period, with the wetter-than-normal area in the southwest expanding at the 4-month time period. Drier-than-normal conditions dominated at 5 to 11 months. The precipitation anomalies were mixed at longer time scales (percent of normal precipitation maps for the last 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 months).
![0-10 cm [0-4 in]](/monitoring-content/sotc/drought/2022/02/rsoim0-10_20220228_00z_pr.gif){kind=link}
![10-40 cm [4-16 in]](/monitoring-content/sotc/drought/2022/02/rsoim10-40_20220228_00z_pr.gif){kind=link}
![40-100 cm [16-39 in]](/monitoring-content/sotc/drought/2022/02/rsoim40-100_20220228_00z_pr.gif){kind=link}
![100-200 cm [39-79 in]](/monitoring-content/sotc/drought/2022/02/rsoim100-200_20220228_00z_pr.gif){kind=link}
According to the February 28th USDM produced for the USAPI, extreme drought continued at Wotje in the RMI, severe drought developed at Fananu and moderate drought developed at Chuuk Lagoon and Woleai in the FSM, and abnormal dryness spread across the Marianas. In the RMI, severe drought improved to moderate drought at Kwajalein, moderate drought continued at Ailinglaplap, and abnormal dryness continued at Majuro and Mili and began at Jaluit. Abnormal dryness ended in the southern FSM at Kapingamarangi and Nukuoro. The rest of the USAPI stations were free of drought and abnormal dryness.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Guam issued four Drought Information Statements (DGT) for drought in February (on the 1st, 11th, 17th, and 25th) discussing the conditions in the USAPI:
- Early in the month, reports from the northern RMI indicated that many catchments were very low or empty, some wells had salty water but well water levels were still decent, and catchment water was being used for drinking only on many islands (not washing) with islands using coconuts for hydration. Plants were yellow to brown with some plants absent of leaves. Some fruits were dropping prematurely. Some islands have reverse osmosis units but many were inoperable. By the end of the month, groundwater was being utilized for cooking, drinking, washing and bathing, and plants were mostly brown with some plants absent of leaves. The Marshall Islands National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) supplied new batteries for Wotje's reverse osmosis unit. The NDMO's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster continued to survey the northern islands.
- Early in the month, reports indicated that water resources were stressed on parts of Kwajalein atoll, but impacts on remote islands of Kwajalein, such as Ebadon and Mejatto, were more in line with the extreme conditions in the northern RMI.
- Drought was widespread in northern Chuuk State (from Fananu in the Hall Islands and Onoun in the Namonuitos). Reports received at mid-month indicated that water tanks on Fananu were empty. The main catchment tank serving the community was empty or extremely low. Well water was brackish and crops/vegetation were dying. Reports received near the end of the month indicated that a ship will trek through islands of Chuuk State during the next few weeks. Food and water will be delivered to Fananu and a thorough assessment of conditions on the island will be made.
February 2022 precipitation ranks included several in the top 5 and top 10 driest category, with Wotje tying with January-February 2016 as the driest January-February on record:
- Wotje: driest (tie) January-February (in 39 years of data), fourth driest February (behind 1990, 1994, and 2021 which each had zero inches), second driest December-February, and sixth driest April-February.
- Fananu: driest February, but based on only 8 years of data.
- Lukunor: fifth driest February (38 years of data) and sixth driest June-February.
- Guam: tenth driest February (65 years).
- Woleai: tenth driest February (38 years) and fourth driest January-February.
- Chuuk: sixth driest January-February (71 years).
- Ailinglaplap: third driest May-February (36 years of data).
- Pingelap: eighth driest December-February (37 years) and seventh driest August-February.
- Jaluit: eighth driest July-February (37 years), June-February, and April-February.
- Nukuoro: eighth driest September-February and August-February (38 years).
- Kapingamarangi: in spite of having only the 15th wettest February (in a 35-year record) and 15th driest January-February, it was still the fourth driest August-February, July-February, June-February, and May-February.
- Kwajalein: in spite of having the ninth wettest February (in a 70-year record), it was still the fifth driest June-February.
At the wet end of the scale, besides Kwajalein (ninth wettest February) and Pohnpei (tenth wettest February), Ulithi had the eighth wettest February and second wettest January-February and December-February. Mili had the wettest March-February.
The following analysis of historical data for the USAPI stations in the Global Historical Climatology Network-Daily (GHCN-D) dataset, augmented with fill-in data from the 1981-2010 Normals, helps put the current data into historical perspective by computing ranks based on the period of record. The table below lists the precipitation ranks for February 2022, September 2021-February 2022 (last 6 months), and March 2021-February 2022 (the last 12 months). Some stations have a long period of record and their dataset is fairly complete, while other stations have a shorter period of record and the dataset has some missing data.
| Station | February 2022 | Sep 2021-Feb 2022 | Mar 2021-Feb 2022 | Period of Record | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Years | Rank | Years | Rank | Years | ||
| Ailinglaplap | 27 | 39 | 28 | 37 | 21 | 36 | 1981-2022 |
| Airai | 47 | 71 | 70 | 71 | 67 | 69 | 1951-2022 |
| Chuuk | 15 | 71 | 36 | 71 | 52 | 70 | 1951-2022 |
| Fananu | 1 | 8 | -- | 5 | -- | 2 | 2003-2022 |
| Guam | 10 | 65 | 53 | 65 | 35 | 65 | 1957-2022 |
| Jaluit | 22 | 39 | 20 | 37 | 11 | 36 | 1981-2022 |
| Kapingamarangi | 21 | 35 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 17 | 1962-2022 |
| Kosrae | 15 | 56 | 21 | 38 | 27 | 33 | 1954-2022 |
| Kwajalein | 62 | 70 | 31 | 70 | 21 | 69 | 1952-2022 |
| Lukunor | 5 | 38 | 21 | 36 | 14 | 25 | 1981-2022 |
| Majuro | 45 | 68 | 38 | 68 | 55 | 67 | 1954-2022 |
| Mili | 22 | 38 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 1981-2022 |
| Nukuoro | 12 | 40 | 8 | 38 | 14 | 37 | 1981-2022 |
| Pago Pago | 47 | 56 | 20 | 56 | 16 | 55 | 1966-2022 |
| Pingelap | 20 | 40 | 10 | 37 | 19 | 35 | 1981-2022 |
| Pohnpei | 62 | 71 | 54 | 71 | 63 | 70 | 1951-2022 |
| Saipan | 14 | 42 | 14 | 34 | 18 | 33 | 1981-2022 |
| Ulithi | 32 | 39 | 33 | 36 | -- | 34 | 1981-2022 |
| Utirik | -- | 19 | -- | 9 | -- | 3 | 1985-2020 |
| Woleai | 10 | 38 | 27 | 33 | 24 | 26 | 1968-2022 |
| Wotje | 4 | 39 | 9 | 36 | 7 | 35 | 1981-2022 |
| Yap | 46 | 71 | 37 | 71 | 45 | 70 | 1951-2022 |
SPI values for seven time periods for Pacific Islands, computed by the Honolulu NWS office.
NOAA Regional Climate Centers
More information, provided by the NOAA Regional Climate Centers and others, can be found below.
Southeast
As noted by the Southeast Regional Climate Center, temperatures were near to above average across much of the Southeast region for the month of February while precipitation was variable across much of the region, with a few wet and dry extremes reported. The driest locations were found across much of Florida, and the eastern half of the region. Monthly precipitation totals ranged from 70 to less than 25 percent of normal across these locations. Tallahassee, FL (1896-2022) only observed 1.28 inches (33 mm) of precipitation, more than 3 inches (76 mm) below normal, and New Bern, NC (1933-2022) tied its driest February at only 1 inch (25 mm) of precipitation. In contrast, the wettest locations for the month were located across Puerto Rico, northern Alabama and Georgia, and western North Carolina and Virginia.
Drought conditions slightly intensified across the Southeast region, except for Puerto Rico, in February. At the beginning of the month, pockets of moderate drought (D1) were in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama. Abnormally dry conditions (D0) ringed the areas of moderate drought and stretched through northern Florida. By the end of the month, the area of moderate drought stretched across eastern North Carolina down into eastern Georgia, with an expanded area of moderate drought in northern Florida. Abnormally dry conditions expanded throughout these areas as well, and by the end of the month (D0) covered most of the Florida Peninsula. Drought conditions improved across Puerto Rico for the month, with pockets of moderate drought (D1) ringed by an area of abnormally dry conditions (D0) in the southern part of the Island and pockets of moderate drought (D1) to extreme drought (D3) across the Virgin Islands. Farmers in the citrus growing region of Florida had to run irrigation due to increasingly dry conditions.
South
As explained by the Southern Regional Climate Center, February was a moderately cold month across the South, with a very uneven distribution of precipitation. In Texas, Wink and Lipscomb both reported no measurable precipitation. Drought dominated the picture across most of the Southern region, with the primary exceptions being Tennessee, northern Arkansas, and northeastern Mississippi. Overall, 59% of the region was in drought as of March 1, 40% was in severe drought or worse, 13% was in extreme drought or worse, and 1% was in exceptional drought. Most of these numbers were up slightly from the previous month. The exceptional drought was limited to the Oklahoma Panhandle, but large swaths of extreme drought covered western Oklahoma, much of western Texas, and more isolated locations in eastern Oklahoma, northeastern and central Texas, southern Arkansas, and Louisiana. The primary agricultural impacts were with winter wheat and rangeland. Texas winter wheat was rated 75% poor to very poor on February 27, and soil moisture was rated 76% short to very short. Oklahoma winter wheat was rated 65% poor to very poor, and soil moisture was rated 75% short to very short.
Midwest
As described by the Midwest Regional Climate Center, for the second consecutive month, below-normal temperatures dominated the Midwest, while February was wetter than normal with sharp regional differences. Average Midwest precipitation was 2.73 inches (69 mm), which was 0.89 inch (23 mm) above normal, or 148 percent of normal. Preliminary data indicates Ohio had the 3rd wettest February on record while Iowa tied for the 5th driest. A persistent atmospheric pattern brought frequent storms across the lower Midwest and extreme upper Midwest, with a lack of precipitation in between. Northwest Missouri to central Wisconsin saw less than 50 percent of normal precipitation.
Moderate to severe drought and abnormal dryness affected 45 percent of the Midwest, confined to the northwest portion of the region. The lower Midwest remained free of drought in February. Over the previous month, drought expanded in Iowa, Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and western Michigan. Conditions improved slightly in Missouri and Minnesota, although areas of drought and abnormal dryness were still present. Over the winter (December-February), the percent of land in drought across Minnesota fell from 49 percent to 27 percent. The epicenter of the drought shifted from Minnesota to the southeast into Wisconsin.
Northeast
As explained by the Northeast Regional Climate Center, February featured large temperature swings and multiple storms that produced a mix of precipitation types, with the month wrapping up on the warm side of normal for much of the Northeast. February precipitation in the region totaled 3.31 inches, which was 120 percent of normal. The USDM from February 1 showed 1 percent of the Northeast in severe drought, 1 percent in moderate drought, and 16 percent as abnormally dry. There were only a few changes in conditions during February, with abnormal dryness easing in south-central Pennsylvania and introduced in northwestern New York. Drought and abnormal dryness persisted in northern New England where long-term precipitation deficits exist, while abnormal dryness lingered in northeastern Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania, southern/northwestern New Jersey, and southeastern New York due primarily to short-term precipitation deficits and reduced streamflow. The USDM from March 1 showed 1 percent of the Northeast in severe drought, 1 percent in moderate drought, and 16 percent as abnormally dry.
High Plains
As summarized by the High Plains Regional Climate Center, February was a very dry month for most of the High Plains, which led to the expansion of drought across the region. As of late February, 78 percent of the region was engulfed in drought conditions. Dryness continued to grip the southeastern part of the High Plains in February. Kansas and Nebraska have been significantly impacted by the extreme dryness that was present not only in February, but throughout the winter. Agricultural producers and resource managers were being forced to make decisions based on the current situation to prepare for potential issues in the coming months. Despite below normal temperatures throughout most of the region, temperatures fluctuated greatly throughout the month.
Several locations within Nebraska and northern Kansas observed their driest February on record. McCook, Nebraska, observed their 2nd driest month on record, with only trace amounts of precipitation recorded. To the north, North Platte observed 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) of precipitation, leading to their 4th driest February. Grand Island tied with 1904 for the record driest, with only 0.01 inch (0.25 mm) of precipitation observed. Hastings and Lincoln both recorded their 3rd driest February on record with 0.01 and 0.03 inch (0.25 and 0.76 mm), respectively, of precipitation. This dryness was not only prevalent during the month, but also throughout the winter in Nebraska. Lincoln and Hastings both observed their 2nd driest winters on record, while Norfolk and Grand Island observed their 3rd driest winters. Other locations that were extremely dry included Concordia, Kansas, and Pierre, South Dakota, which recorded their 3rd and 4th driest winters, respectively.
While dryness continued in Nebraska and Kansas, leading to widespread expansion of drought conditions, drought conditions improved in North Dakota and northeastern Colorado. The region has remained free of exceptional drought (D4) conditions since November of 2021. Drought significantly expanded across Nebraska as a result of extremely dry conditions. The state began the month with 38 percent in D1 (moderate drought) to D4 (exceptional drought), and ended with 91 percent of the state in D1 to D4. The lack of precipitation resulted in South Dakota and Kansas both observing increases of 22 and 10 percent, respectively, of D1 to D4 conditions. Contrary to this dryness, Colorado observed an 11 percent decrease to extreme drought (D3) conditions after the eastern part of the state received above normal precipitation. Drought conditions also improved after beneficial precipitation in central and northern North Dakota. Throughout the rest of the region, other improvements and degradations were observed. According to the Climate Prediction Center's U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook for March, drought development is likely in northern Nebraska and western Colorado.
West
As described by the Western Regional Climate Center, a stubborn and strong ridge of high pressure persisted in the northeast Pacific for the first three weeks of February which kept significant moisture and precipitation away from the Western US. Deep low pressure developed over the Intermountain West the last week of February as the Pacific high migrated north bringing cold temperatures and mostly light precipitation to the West due to the continental origin of the airmass. Overall, precipitation was well below normal, and temperatures were below normal (with some exceptions along the West Coast states) across the West during February.
Record February dryness occurred in California, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah, and well below normal precipitation was found across nearly the entire West with a few exceptions. Several long-term stations in California and Nevada recorded zero or trace amounts of precipitation including Sacramento, Bishop, and Stockton in California, and Lovelock and Las Vegas in Nevada. This was only the second time since records began in 1878 that Sacramento has logged zero February precipitation (2020 was the other year) with the normal value being 3.63 inches (92.2 millimeters). Boise, Idaho saw its driest February dating back to 1940 with 0.08 inch (2 millimeters) and just 8 percent of normal. In the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah, Alta (a high elevation mountain site at 8,710 feet) received 1.25 inches (31.8 millimeters) of precipitation and 23% of normal making it the driest on record since 1945; this also led to the lowest February snowfall on record at Alta with 25 inches (635 mm). Over 200 high elevation SNOTEL stations across the West (at least 20 years of record) saw record dry February precipitation. Some isolated areas of above normal precipitation were found in central Montana and northeast New Mexico.
Hawaii generally saw above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation across the entire island chain. Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lani, and Maui all had stations reporting less than 50 percent of normal precipitation for the month. Honolulu saw its fourth warmest February at 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23.9 degrees Celsius), +1.2 degrees Fahrenheit (+0.7 degrees Celsius) above normal and precipitation was the driest on record with 0.05 inch (1.27 millimeters) at three percent of normal. Lihue logged 0.51 inch (13 millimeters; 14 percent of normal) for the fourth driest since 1950. The dryness led to moderate and severe drought categories being introduced in the USDM over the past month.