Marking the first year in 165 that San Francisco has had no rain in January, the Washington Post is out with a graphic that shows the extent of California’s extreme and exceptional drought.
“The current problem, as you know, is the persistent drought in the state which, thanks in part to heavy rains in December, has actually eased slightly from its worst point. Slightly,” the Post notes.
- Be among the first to read The Energy Mix Weekender
- A brand new weekly digest containing exclusive and essential climate stories from around the world.
- The Weekender:The climate news you need.
The U.S. Senate is debating but has so far failed to pass a drought relief bill, but that’s the same Senate that “spent much of the week debating the existence of climate change, which scientists say will likely lead to more expansive, more prolonged droughts in the Southwest. That would mean more droughts like this one, with more future debates over how to help those affected.”
Researchers attribute the current California drought to a warm patch in the Pacific Ocean that has kept rain from reaching the coast, combined with record heat in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
