October Was Bad News for the U.S. Drought

Recent scorching and dry situations have solely fueled the seemingly countless drought that’s pummeling the U.S. for months. October noticed higher-than-common temperatures and lower-than-common precipitation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported this week.

According to NOAA, the common temperature all through the U.S. final month was 55.3 levels Fahrenheit (13 levels Celsius). This is about 1.2 levels Fahrenheit above common, according to the report. A map of the yr from January by means of October exhibits above-common temperatures in shades of purple and below-common temperatures in shades of blue—and the purple clearly dominates.

The warmth final month was record-breaking in some states. Washington noticed its warmest October on document, whereas Oregon skilled its second-warmest October, in line with NOAA.

Around the nation final month, common precipitation was 1.66 inches (4 centimeters), which was half an inch (1.2 cm) decrease than normal. As of the start of November, about 62% of the nation was experiencing a spread of drought situations, in line with the U.S. Drought Monitor report. Last month was additionally the third-driest October on document, per NOAA.

NOAA’s report famous the extraordinarily low water ranges alongside the Mississippi River as one other signal that the U.S. drought is widespread and affecting every part from enterprise to recreation: “The Mississippi River dropped to its lowest water levels in a decade near Memphis, Tennessee, and Vicksburg, Mississippi, closing off a vital channel to barge traffic at a crucial time of year for crop transportation.”

Some ships have even gotten caught alongside the river on account of decrease water ranges. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needed to dredge a number of spots in river to keep away from extra ships from operating aground. Barges on the Mississippi now have to hold about 20% much less cargo, which is dangerous information for the nation’s already disrupted supply chains.

Earlier this yr, NOAA predicted widespread drought by means of the spring and summer time. By this summer time, greater than half of the nation was experiencing some type of drought situations. According to a one-month outlook from the Climate Prediction Center that was issued on the finish of October, situations will most likely not enhance for the Mississippi River this month. Lower-than-common precipitation has been predicted throughout the Gulf area for many of November.

Conditions aren’t possible to enhance subsequent yr, both. Just final month, NOAA stated that the U.S. is anticipating a very dry winter; with little snowfall, there received’t be sufficient snowmelt come spring to replenish reservoirs and important waterways.