Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program

SCIPP Monitor: December 2012

In this issue:

Oceanic Oscillations and Ice Storms
Temperature and Precipitation Summaries
Drought Update

SCIPP Monitor: December 2013

In this issue:

Understanding the Role of Ammonia in Air Quality
Temperature and Precipitation Summaries
Climate Forecast for January 2014

SCIPP Monitor: December 2014

In this issue:

The Importance of Trusted Advisors in Building Resilience
New Orleans 2014 Weather Summary
Drought, Temperature, and Precipitation Summaries

SCIPP Monitor: December 2015

In this issue:

Water Reservoir Data Visualization Tool
Drought, Temperature, and Precipitation Summaries
A Little History of the Bonnet Carre Spillway

SCIPP Monitor: December 2016

In this issue:

Providing Disaster Information to Oklahomans
Drought, Temperature, and Precipitation Summaries
How Much Heat is Lost Through Your Head?

SCIPP Monitor: December 2017

In this issue:

Improving Impact-Based Seasonal Outlooks for South Central Texas
Drought, Temperature, and Precipitation Summaries
Senior Meteorology Student Receives Undergraduate Research Award

Developing a Visual Drought Index

Engaging with citizens to gain information about local drought conditions and impacts is important for improving the accuracy of drought indices and identifying local-scale drought, but what does drought actually look like across the country? This project was designed to create a visual drought severity scale by using photos that citizens took of their landscape, and compare the scale to established drought indices to determine if the scale is accurate and executable. This concept of a visual assessment of drought severity is similar to the Enhanced Fujita Scale that is used to assess tornado damage. Drought indices used for comparison include the USDM, the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI).