NOAA: Southwest ‘Megadrought’ to Persist

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued severe drought warnings in the spring outlook published by the agency’s Climate Prediction Center.

“About 40 percent of the contiguous 48 states are currently in some stage of drought or abnormally dry conditions, and those are expected to persist in the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest and Southern Plains, according to the March 20 bulletin.” Meanwhile, water levels in the Colorado River continue to drop as the region remains in the midst of a ‘megadrought,’ and states up and down the basin have failed to come to a new agreement on how to manage supplies. The dry climate and vegetation across the region also heightens the risk of wildfires.

Although climate experts say the agency needs more resources to effectively assess risks and identify strategies for mitigating them, “The continuing budget resolution passed by Congress March 14 reduces NOAA’s operations, research and facilities budget by 11 percent from the previous year, and according to congressional sources, it stripped away some of Congress’s budgetary oversight privileges.”

The National Weather Service also recently announced it is reducing the number of weather balloon launches it conducts due to understaffing, “which could compromise the agency’s ability to provide timely and accurate drought warnings, as well as forecasts for other dangerous extremes.”