The ongoing megadrought in the SW and W United States, data

[jeffreyi]

Link to tweet

?t=Fih4ZzDLoryMalYVGMIdgg&s=19

[jimfields33]

1. Wow. That's awesome that they kept records of the drought in the 1500's.

Hopefully we will be out of this drought soon enough.

[jeffreyi]

2. Yeah, I hope so too.

I worked for 30 years+ in the vegetation and wildlife ecology realms in the mountains of California, and some of this is really hard to watch and experience. Mother Nature is pushing the reset button, big time. At her own pace and timing.

[NickB79]

3. The drought is largely permanent at 1.5C

With the increased evaporation rate from higher temps, you'd need above-average precipitation every year now to get back to 20th century norms. It's not drought; it's aridification.

What we'll see is drought becoming the norm, while wet years are the exception. If the current megadrought ends in the next few years, a new one will form to take it's place in short order. And as we push past 2C and higher, it will take even wetter years to offset the increased evaporation rates.

There is no going back to what we knew in the 20th century.

[jimfields33]

4. It so crazy what 2 degree Celsius can do. It just doesn't sound like a lot.

Obviously, I know it is but just crazy.