Most notable in the forecast through May is the absence of widespread, intense water surpluses observed in the East in prior months and the emergence of surpluses in the West. Surpluses will shrink and downgrade in the center of the country but remain widespread in a broad path from southern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico and will be intense in Kansas. Moderate surpluses will cover much of California, and many Rocky Mountain States will transition from deficit to surplus.
United States: Water surpluses forecast for MT, NE, IA, WI, & PA
The forecast through November indicates that water deficits will downgrade considerably overall leaving mild to moderate deficits, but deficits will be intense along the Arkansas River through Kansas and Colorado, western Colorado, northeastern Utah, along the Canadian River through Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, and in the US Northeast. Areas of surplus include: Montana, the Black Hills of South Dakota, northern Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, and eastern Pennsylvania.
United States: Intense water deficits to persist in OR, MO, AR, LA; surpluses in FL
The forecast through September indicates that, while exceptional water deficits will diminish overall and in the Southwest and Southern Rockies in particular, moderate to severe deficits are expected in a wide path from Missouri to the Gulf. Deficits may be intense in Louisiana, along the Arkansas and Canadian Rivers, and the Pacific Northwest coast. In the Northeast, deficits will persist and spread further in Maine. Significant surpluses will persist in the Northern Rockies, and surpluses will emerge in much of Florida.
United States: Water deficits to diminish in the SW, surpluses ahead for FL
The forecast through August indicates deficits in the Northeast, which could be exceptional in southern Maine. Moderate to severe surpluses are forecast scattered from Virginia through Alabama, and covering nearly all of Florida. Primarily moderate deficits are forecast for the Mississippi River Basin. Intense deficits are forecast for western Colorado, northern Utah, western Oregon, western Washington, and southernmost Texas. Primarily moderate deficits are expected in California. Surpluses will diminish in Idaho and downgrade slightly from exceptional in Montana.
ISciences Worldwide Water Watch List June 2018
Regions forecast to have significant water deficits for the 12-month period from March 2018 through February 2019 include: southern Mexico, northern Brazil, North Africa, Europe, Afghanistan, and Southeast China. Areas with a forecast of significant water surplus include: Montana and Idaho (US), Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Spain, and Bangladesh. This Watch List is based on ISciences Water Security Indicator Model (WSIM) run on 7 June 2018.