NCDC: Climate of 2004 - April - Southwest Region Drought

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Climate of 2004 - April
Southwest Region Drought

National Climatic Data Center, 13 May 2004

As noted by the media (Denver Post, 4/4), Lake Powell is more than half empty: "Through several years of drought, Colorado and neighboring states have relied on Lake Powell to deliver water downstream. But as the reservoir's water levels drop, fears of a water war, or of severe shortages, rise. ... Drought is also draining Lake Mead, Powell's slightly larger downstream sibling reservoir, which sits at 59 percent of capacity. During the past five years, the two vast impoundments have lost a volume equivalent to a full Lake Mead, officials say."

Precipitation Ranks for the
Southwest Region , 2003-2004
Period	Rank
Apr	8^th wettest (103^rd driest)
Mar-Apr	20^th wettest ( 91^st driest)
Feb-Apr	17^th wettest ( 94^th driest)
Jan-Apr	26^th wettest ( 83^rd driest)
Dec-Apr	36^th wettest ( 74^th driest)
Nov-Apr	27^th wettest ( 83^rd driest)
Oct-Apr	45^th wettest ( 65^th driest)
Sep-Apr	55^th driest
Aug-Apr	50^th driest
Jul-Apr	32^nd driest
Jun-Apr	34^th driest
May-Apr	34^th driest

Click here for graphic showing precipitation departures, January 1998 - present

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Click here for graphic showing Palmer Z Index, January 1998 - present

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Click here for graphic showing precipitation, April 1895-2004

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Click here for graphic showing Palmer Hydrological Drought Index, January 1900 - April 2004

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NCDC / Clim. Monitoring / Climate-2004 / Apr / U.S. Regional Drought / Search / Help

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Last Updated Tuesday, 29-Nov-2005 14:04:19 EST by Richard.Heim@noaa.gov
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