U.S. Drought Monitor Forum

Reno, NV

April 14-16, 2015

Eric Luebehusen

Meteorologist & USDM Author

USDA – World Agricultural Outlook Board

USDA/GIS Update – Data, Products, and Services

A quick look at the GIS progress over the

last several USDM Forums...

In 2009, the initial use of Hydrological and Wx data

in GIS format to support drought depiction was

discussed…

We talked then about how authors

were going from hard-copy static

images to dynamic data in GIS

format to edit the USDM. It was a

relatively new idea.

-2009

In 2011, the expanded use of GIS data for USDM

editing was discussed, as well as some our needs as

authors…

At the time, a host of new GIS-compatible products had started to

appear, making our jobs easier and more accurate. Back then, the

new products included (but were not limited to) NOHRSC, WMS-

Radar, GFS (for the write up), VegDRI, AHPS, and WMO data.

More and more authors were using this GIS data to aid Dx depiction.

2009-2011

By 2013, the authors had an even greater suite of

GIS data at their disposal…

CSVWould like value vs color

*.bil displays

(very large filesize)

Geotiff (in house)

Hi-res SPI;

Still hoping

X

While we still were waiting on a high-resolution SPI dataset in GIS format, many

of the other requests had been addressed. Most authors were now using GIS data

to some extent for USDM editing. One particularly BIG development...

2011-2013

… ACIS station data, with many

thanks to Keith Eggleston at

NERCC, provided authors a way to

cross-check AHPS and helped us

better asses areas where AHPS had

accuracy issues.

2011-2013

For this year’s Forum, several noteworthy new

sources of GIS data since 2013’s meeting …

Hi-res SPI via NC State (AHPS/PRISM)

Many thanks to Rebecca Cumbie @ NC State and

all who made the hi-res SPI (AHPS/PRISM)

available; this came online immediately after the

2013 USDM Forum.

2013-2015

Station-based SPI via HPRCC

Also, a huge debt of gratitude

to all at the HPRCC and

NDMC for making the SPI

station data available in GIS

format so authors can now

incorporate this directly into

the editing process as well.

2013-2015

Water-Year Station-based SPI

via HPRCC

The SPI from both new sources is

available out to many timescales, including

Water Year – a big help out west.

2013-2015

Water-Year Station-based SPI

via HPRCC

Another new background plotting option –

a WMS map from National Geographic

(and others) – provides authors a level of

detail never before imagined!

2013-2015

24-month Station-based SPI

via HPRCC

The SPI out to 24 months from HPRCC

certainly drives home the long-term

drought out west, though it would be nice

to get a 36-month option as well.

2013-2015

Long-term Pcp Data via HPRCC

Speaking of 36-month data, the HPRCC is

providing a 36-month precip (pnp) file in GIS-

readable format, which has proven very useful

for Dx depiction and news interviews.

2013-2015

36-month Hi-res SPI via NC

State (AHPS/PRISM)

The new AHPS/PRISM SPI from NC State

does go back 36 months, as seen here.

2013-2015

Radar Mask via NOAA, ROC

The NWS Radar Operations Center provided a

radar mask (in white; coverage at or below

10,000’) which can help guide authors to where

there may be issues with AHPS-derived data.

2013-2015

- Radar coverage at

or below 10,000’

Radar Mask via NOAA, ROC

The radar mask shows clearly where

topography interferes with the radar beam.

2013-2015

- Radar coverage at

or below 10,000’

Radar Mask via NOAA, ROC

Coupled with a plot of station type and

location, authors can easily identify areas

where we need to tread extra carefully.

2013-2015

- Radar coverage at

or below 10,000’

A quick tour of GIS data now available to

authors for USDM depiction...

Precipitation Data now

available in GIS…

Gridded AHPS 7-Day Pcp For U.S.

Gridded AHPS Hourly Pcp For Eastern U.S.

A long-time standby, gridded

AHPS/MPE data has been used to

assess where and how much precip

fell. Previously, we had the last 7

days and beyond; now near real-time

hourly data at shorter time scales is

available east of the Rockies.

AHPS Derived Pcp: Departure

Gridded national precipitation departures at numerous

time scales (30 days shown here) allow authors to rapidly

identify possible drought-intensification candidates.

AHPS Derived Pcp: Water-Year

Pct of Normal

AHPS also provides percent-of-normal precipitation,

another guide in our USDM editing efforts.

AHPS Derived Pcp: Water-Year

Pct of Normal

The NWS-ROC radar “mask” helps identify potential

problem areas with AHPS; this is where the station data

can quickly support or question the data validity.

AHPS & ACIS: Water-Year

Pct of Normal

A bit messy, but the overlay of water-year ACIS station

data over AHPS has helped refine USDM editing efforts.

ACIS Station Pcp – NWS/WBAN

ACIS Station Pcp – CoCoRaHS

Speaking of station data, as

CoCoRaHS expands it takes what

were data-poor areas and makes them

a reliable source of detailed in-situ

information.

ACIS Station Pcp: All Sources

The composite of all data sources gives authors detail like

we never saw before in station observations.

ACIS Station Pcp – Water-Year Pct of Normal

ACIS Station Pcp – Water-Year Departure

As the database climatology

expands, derived products will also

improve, augmenting AHPS and

improving USDM efforts..

SPI Data now available

in GIS…

CPC 24m SPI - Gridded

CPC 24m SPI – Gridded Smoothed

NOAA/CPC was the first to provide

authors with a gridded station-based

SPI for GIS applications.

AHPS/PRISM 24m SPI (N.C. State)

This was augmented by the high-resolution SPI provided

by N.C. State and others after the ‘13 USDM Forum.

Station-based 24m SPI (HPRCC)

Now, we have a 3rd source of GIS-readable SPI data from

the HPRCC.

HPRCC 24m SPI

HPRCC W-Y SPI

The ability to turn on/off different

layers and map backgrounds has

further aided our drought depiction

efforts, as well as easily switch from

timeframe to timeframe.

Misc Station Data available

in GIS…

NRCS SNOTEL Pcp

NRCS SNOTEL SWE

NRCS-SNOTEL data can be

directly imported into GIS, which

has been another big step in USDM

accuracy out West.

USFS Keetch-Byram Index

The U.S. Forest Service also provides data we can read

into GIS, including the Keetch-Byram Index.

USGS Streamflow

Authors have long

been spoiled by

the USGS’

streamflow

shapefile data!

NOHRSC Station Plots

While lacking a historical perspective,

NOHRSC station plots of snow depth

provide another source for assessing the

West snowpack.

WMO Temperature Data

At USDA, we are able to read in the WMO

temperature data… and other sources of

weather information are popping up in GIS

format from the NWS and WMO.

Derived Products now

available in GIS…

GRACE Soil Moisture

NLDAS Soil Moisture

NLDAS Runoff

While we lack in-situ soil moisture data,

derived soil moisture is available from

scientists/staff at NASA/Goddard (GRACE)

and NOAA’s Environmental Modeling

Center (NLDAS).

4km Vegetation Health Index (VHI)

The staff at NOAA/NESDIS supply a 4km

Vegetation Health Index dataset weekly in

GIS format.

Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI)

VegDRI is supplied in GIS format on a

weekly basis from the staff at NDMC in

collaboration with the US Geological

Survey's (USGS) Center for Earth

Resources Observation and Science

(EROS), and the High Plains Regional

Climate Center (HPRCC).

NEXRAD WMS

GFS QPF (CPC)

Other data includes (but is not limited to)

WMS applications from the NWS (radar

base reflectivity shown) as well as GFS

forecast data from the NWS/CPC.

Still needed, and

coming soon…

NLDAS Top 1m

We desperately need in-situ soil moisture

data to augment/verify modeled soil

moisture. It would be nice to get soil

moisture data from SCAN in GIS format,

as well as get NOAA soil moisture via

HCN (Historical Climate Network) to

NDMC to authors.

With funding from the USDA for drought-

related activities, USDA/WAOB entered a

cooperative agreement with the NDMC to

develop and expand infrastructure and GIS

capabilities. Included will be FTP servers

for authors as well as the public to

exchange GIS information and data in

support of the USDM.

Eric Luebehusen

Meteorologist & USDM Author

USDA, World Agricultural Outlook Board

Washington, D.C.

eluebehusen@oce.usda.gov

(202) 720-3361