The current drought in much of the west has been building for several years now. Seven of the last ten years have been drought years.
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says that we have been sliding into what is now dubbed as a “mega-drought.”
According to Rippey, “The thing about a mega drought doesn’t mean it’s dry every year, but it has been dry most years over the last decade. And, of course with the warming climate, we have certainly seen more aggravation of that dryness due to the high temperatures, elevated temperatures compared to what history has shown us to be normal.”
As this trend continues, he says that the west will stay in critical situations for water supply and dry-land ag.
Related:
Western parts of the U.S. facing mega drought
Idaho, Northern Plain producers face heavy drought concerns
