Progress Under Duress -- National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) assessment and early warning in the Upper Colorado River Basin

This presentation is a summary of the recent experiences providing drought information to diverse stakeholders in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Following a year of heavy snow and very high runoff (2011), 2012 took just the opposite path with low winter snowpack accumulation followed by an extremely warm and dry spring and early summer resulting in record or near record low stream flows. This drought "event" occurred just 10 years after a similar extreme event in 2002. The evolution of these climate anomalies will be described. Examples of climate products and services provided during the 2011 and 2012 water years will be presented, including seasonal forecast information and reservoir statistics. Some challenges of integrated/collaborative drought monitoring and early warning will be discussed. Plans for improving drought monitoring and early warning in the Upper Colorado River Basin will be provided. Stakeholder responses to timely climate updates will be assessed.