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Drought Sets New 21st-Century Benchmark
The latest weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report, released Thursday morning, shows drought encompassing more of the contiguous U.S. than at any other time since the report's debut in January 2000.
The analysis, compiled by the National Drought Mitigation Center, shows 55.96% of the 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) in some stage of drought, breaking the previous high of 54.79% set on August 26, 2003. Last week's report showed 51.13% of the country in drought.
The continued abnormally dry and very hot weather over a large part of the country was to blame for the increase, according to the Drought Monitor. Most of the nation's drought areas received a half inch of rain or less during the seven-day period ending July 3, according to the report.
"These aren't really 'records' climatically given that the period for which the [Drought Monitor] data exist is so short. That having been said, these easily being the highest percentages in the 13 years for which we have the numbers represents that this is an unusually large part of the country with a worsening drought, and it's alarming that we're even talking about how the severity and geographical extent of the drought might, by the end of summer, compare to years such as 1934."
http://www.weather.com/news/drought-monitor-record-extent-20120705
