By NDMC Communications

Webinar provides insight into USDM processes 

A webinar on Aug. 14 will share more information about the process behind making the U.S. Drought Monitor. Attendees will learn more about the USDM process, how you can contribute, what programs the USDM triggers and more. Participants will also have a chance to ask questions and provide feedback to USDM authors.  

Learn more and register: https://go.unl.edu/usdm-info-webinar 

Paper explores potential of NWM analyses for drought monitoring  

Brian Fuchs, NDMC monitoring coordinator, co-authored “Evaluation of Retrospective National Water Model Soil Moisture and Streamflow for Drought-Monitoring Applications,” published March 16 in JGR Atmospheres.  Authors present results exploring the potential for National Water Model soil moisture and streamflow analyses to inform operational drought monitoring. 

Handbook chapter covers drought remote sensing 

NDMC’s Brian Fuchs, Mark Svoboda and Tsegaye Tadesse, along with UNL's Brian Wardlow, contributed to a book chapter: “Remote sensing of drought - emergence of a satellite-based monitoring toolkit for the United States” from Remote Sensing Handbook, Volume 1: Sensors, Data Normalization, Harmonization, Cloud Computing, and Accuracies, published by Taylor and Francis Group. 

Paper examines impacts of climate and drought webinar series 

Tonya Haigh, NDMC social science coordinator, is an author of “Delivering and Evaluating Climate Services: The North Central Climate and Drought Webinar Series,” published in Weather, Climate, and Society on May 30. Authors use a descriptive study of the monthly North Central Climate and Drought Webinar Series in 2014 and 2021 to examine societal impacts on various facets including capacity-building, decision-making and social-ecological systems.  

Article shares rancher’s success story 

NDMC’s Kelly Helm Smith, communication coordinator, wrote an article about Navajo rancher Mel Cody’s successful use of Natural Resources Conservation Service programs to enhance his family’s operation. The article, aiming for an audience of Cody’s peers, is published in the July 2024 issue of Western Horseman. 

Workshop shares information about ForDRI 

The ForDRI Evaluation workshop/webinar for the Rocky Mountain Forest Region will be held in Fort Collins, Colorado, on July 24. NDMC’s Mark Svoboda, Tsegaye Tadesse, Brian Wardlow and Tonya Bernadt will present and facilitate the in-person and virtual workshop/webinar.