As spring begins to turn into summer, at least 28 states are suffering from some degree of drought. Many of these areas have already withered under multiple years of bone-dry conditions.

Related stories over the next few months can focus on both short-term effects, such as forest fires and crop damage, and long-term impacts and efforts, such as shifts in vegetation and wildlife, and planning for drinking water supplies.

Sources for a range of current perspectives include:

• US Drought Monitor: [2] Shows degree and type of drought. Greatest problems are in the West, Southeast, Great Lakes, and HI, AK, and Puerto Rico.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Water and Climate Center: Details on topics such as snowpack, soil moisture, streamflow, fire danger, and short-term weather predictions. [3]
• Bureau of Reclamation: Summary of water supply and snowpack conditions in the West, [4] including the Great Plains and Texas, as of April 24, 2007.
• National Interagency Fire Center: Seasonal wildfire outlook, [5] as well as updated operational info on working fires.

For many more story ideas, search previous TipSheets [6] for "drought," and check out the 30+ citations.