Potential predictability sources of the 2012 U.S. drought in observations and a regional model ensemble

A unique aspect of the 2012 drought was its rapid onset and intensification over the Southern Rockies, extending to the Great Plains during late spring and early summer, and the absence of known precursor large-scale patterns. Drought prediction therefore remains a major challenge.

This study evaluates relationships among snow, soil moisture, and precipitation to identify sources of potential predictability of the 2012 summer drought using observations and a Weather Research and Forecasting model multiphysics ensemble experiment. Although underestimated in intensity, the drought signal is robust to the way atmospheric physical processes are represented in the model. For the Southern Rockies, soil moisture exhibits stronger persistence than precipitation in observations and the ensemble experiment.