Peak Drought Intensity that Began in the Late 1990s Occured in 2002 and 2003

Peak Drought Intensity that Began in the Late 1990s Occured in 2002 and 2003: The peak intensity of the drought that began in the late 1990s occurred in 2002 and 2003. Using data from the U.S. Drought Monitor maps archive this figure shows how the drought affected the entire Southwest. Extreme drought conditions very likely extended well into Mexico despite lack of data available to the U.S. Drought Monitor at that time.

Credit: Data sources for this figure include the National Drought Mitigation Center, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.