Here’s the U.S. Drought Monitor as of last week, still showing a frightening and sad situation for many people in the West. However, even since that time there has been more rain for California and slowly but surely (very slowly) the three-year drought seems to be improving. They will need a lot of consistent rain to make up for such an enormous deficit. For us in the East there is very little to mention apart from some patchy long-term moderate drought in Rhode Island, Connecticut and part of New York. That took a hit, thankfully, due to the Nor’easter that ripped through the area this week, dumping two to three inches of rain in many of the affected areas. Even when drought cycles are expected in the climatic sense one has to keep in mind that the impact is often exacerbated by climate change. Warmer temperatures will make an already extreme situation worse, removing more water from drought-stricken areas. Let’s hope California sees a slow and steady influx of rain to safely return its environment to a more typical state.
