Some other projections
Colors are for % change in precipitation.
Colors in Northeast below are for the number of droughts of each length.
For example, in the top left box, there are generally 5-25 droughts of 1-3 months duration, during the 30 years. In the top right box, there are no projected droughts of 6 months or more during the 30 years, in the base case.
US Droughts, Area Affected, in %, by Severity - Annual 1st, then weekly. Data is from U.S. Drought Monitor.
Means since 2000 were 49.7% dry, 32.0% drought, 18.7% severe, 7.8% extreme, 1.7% exceptional. Droughts stem from low rain and high temperature (evaporation).
Below, note Southeast US drought in 2007-8 (maps far below), North American drought in 2002-4 (farther below), and 2011-13 drought across much of the US. In 2007-8, Texas was wet and the Midwest was moister than usual. In 2002, due to the drought, North American plants absorbed 50% less CO2 than usual.
Global Warming Connected to California Drought, Winter's Polar Vortex 0414.rtf
Colorado River near ocean
A Shrinking Colorado River Faces Sharp, Sudden Cuts 0622.rtf
- Lake Mead shrinks 1.5 X as fast during 2021-22 as 2020-21
a slide from 2013. The hottest full year in US histiory remains 1954. [until a few years after 2013]
US Drought Worsens in November After Improving for Weeks 1112.rtf
Palmer Drought Index, November 2012
June 2012
July 2012
July 2011
August 2011
June 2007
August 2007
Section Map: Droughts, Deserts & Fires