'Alarming' drought conditions hit US Southwest

[bluemingidiot]

Climatologists provided an update on the situation in the Four Corners region — where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet. Portions of the four states are seeing near-record to record dryness.

The Colorado River will carry only about 43 percent of its average amount of water this year into Lake Powell.

www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Drought-on-tap-to-intensify-over-US-Southwest-12936247.php

[ketoriverfarm]

bluemingidiot, I have been keeping track of the drought situations since I live in a fire prone area. Looks like another bad fire season in the southwest, California and Oregon. Here in northeast Washington, we got plenty of snow this past winter. Just have to see how hot and dry our summer is.

[bluemingidiot]

I've heard that this fall a transition towards El Nino is predicted. That doesn't suggest more rain as much as it suggests less severe drought. (Why do we spell drout, d-rough-t? Either we are spelling it wrong or we are pronouncing it wrong.)

[Jolly]

Thank the Lord, we've had a bit of rain the last couple of days. I've been watering the garden, but rain is much better.

I certainly feel for folks in the SW. That part of the country is a lot drier than my neck of the woods, so I can imagine how tough it would be in a drought.

[bluemingidiot]

It’s only May but the Rio Grande River is already turning to sand. With spring runoff about one-sixth of average and more than 90 percent of New Mexico in severe to exceptional drought, conditions here are extreme. Even in wetter years long stretches of the riverbed eventually dry as water is diverted to farmers, but this year the drying began a couple of months earlier than usual. Some people are concerned that it may dry as far as Albuquerque.

link

[spacecase0]

when Phoenix was found it had a working irrigation system already in place, that is why it was populated and is a city at all.
some culture had abandon it.
I guess it is only now that it is becoming clear why they might have moved away so long ago.

[dw]

Just listened to the weather tonight and it said Durango got 1/2" rain yesterday and that is the most rain they have had since January of 2017!!! NOW that is dry even for Colorado.

[dustawaits]

Now the weather report is extreme heat making for dangerous fire conditions.

[ketoriverfarm]

dustawaits, thanks for the update, just wish it were better news.