Drought
Water
Climatic condition in which there is insufficient soil moisture available for normal vegetative growth. A prolonged period of below-average precipitation.
A period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently prolonged from the lack of precipitation to cause a serious hydrologic imbalance.
- — Service Hydrologist Reference Manual Glossary of Hydrologic Terms retrieved 2014-06-01
Weather
Drought is a deficiency of moisture that results in adverse impacts on people, animals, or vegetation over a sizeable area. NOAA together with its partners provides short- and long-term Drought Assessments.