Environment & Energy

Dead_Parrot

(14,478 posts) Sat Apr 28, 2012, 07:14 PM Apr 2012

Relief from the massive dry spell in the Great Plains could be only temporary, experts say

The historic drought that has gripped Texas for more than a year is slowly easing, but the relief could be temporary if the current La Niña weather pattern persists into a third year, scientists said yesterday.

Dry conditions in the Great Plains are a signature of the weather phenomenon, which is sparked by unusually cool surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

"We are very clearly heading out of La Niña, at least for the summer months," said Klaus Wolter, a research scientist at the University of Colorado.

Wolter, who spoke yesterday at a drought forum in Lubbock, Texas, told reporters there is a 30 to 40 percent chance that La Niña's counterpart, El Niño, will develop this fall. That would be welcome news in the drought-racked southern Great Plains, where El Niño usually heralds heavy rains.

More: http://www.eenews.net/public/climatewire/2012/04/27/1

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Relief from the massive dry spell in the Great Plains could be only temporary, experts say (Original Post) Dead_Parrot Apr 2012 OP

It's going to get significantly worse, imho. joshcryer Apr 2012 #1

joshcryer

(62,276 posts)

1. It's going to get significantly worse, imho.

Reply to Dead_Parrot (Original post)

Sun Apr 29, 2012, 02:38 AM

Apr 2012

Just wait and see. Yeah, sure, you might have at least one or two wet spells but by then arctic sea ice will have finally disappeared at which point you can say goodbye to good old weather cycles.

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