By 2030, the combination of extreme heat and atmospheric dryness that made the ongoing drought so extreme is likely to return more than once a decade. Such record-low precipitation, however, is likely to remain rare.

Much of the U.S. Southwest is near-desert. What does drought even mean in a place like that?

An early summer heatwave across the drought-stricken West smashed records in seven states as temperatures cleared 100 degrees Fahrenheit for days on end. 

Hundreds of wildfires burned through over one million acres of land in California in less than two weeks in August. The resulting smoke has not only worsened air quality across the state but spread across the country.

As the region’s dry summer approaches, precipitation deficits pose a threat to livestock operators, farmers, and fish, and heighten the risk of wildfires.

Terrible wildfires raged through parts of southeastern Australia in the first days of 2020. 

Much of the southeastern United States went from little drought to widespread severe drought in a matter of a few weeks thanks to little rain and hot and sunny days. 

Hot, dry and windy weather helped create the conditions needed for wildfires to explode in northern and southern California in November 2018. 

Drought, warmth, and a towering ridge of high pressure make an unusual start to fall in Alaska.

The 2017-2018 water year came to a dry end in California at the end of September, a year after wet conditions alleviated drought.