A drought is a period of unusually persistant dry weather that lasts long enough to cause serious problems such as crop damage and/or water supply shortages. The severity of the drought depends upon the degree of moisture deficiency, the duration, and the size of the affected area (National Weather Service). A drought can be defined by the amount of precipitation in an area, by the amount of moisture in the soil, by surface and subsurface water supplies, or by water shortages affecting people.
Drought is an issue of great concern in the Mountain Prairie region. Severe drought can lead to wildland fire and agricultural losses in the states of this region.
For general information on drought, see:
