- Exceptional drought will persist in northern California through the Pacific Northwest;
- Southern California is forecast to have characteristics of both water deficits and surpluses;
- Exceptional water surpluses are forecast for portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, and Louisiana;
- A wide belt of moderate to exceptional surpluses is expected from the Central Plains eastward; and,
- Southeast states are forecast to have characteristics of both water deficits and surpluses.
United States: Regionally Significant Water Anomalies Forecast in Coming Months
The continental United States is forecast to experience regionally significant water anomalies through February 2016, both deficits and surpluses:
- Exceptional drought is forecast to persist in northern California through the Pacific Northwest;
- Southern California is forecast to have characteristics of both water deficits and surpluses;
- Exceptional water surpluses are forecast for portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, and Louisiana; and,
- Severe to extreme deficits are forecast for portions of the Northeast.
Western United States: Deficit impacts continue into Sept 2015
The prolonged drought in California has garnered significant political, public, and media attention. The WSIM Composite Surplus/Deficit Index for the next six months (April-Sept 2015), significant deficits will persist or intensify throughout much of the region, including Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. The multi-year regional drought is already impacting agriculture, electricity generation, domestic supplies, and real-estate development.
