U.S. Drought to Last All Summer

The U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center, in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is predicting that the devastating drought now sweeping most of the American bread basket will persist throughout the remainder of the summer.

The drought is expected to hang on in the Midwest and expand into western Pennsylvania, northwestern West Virginia and northern Michigan, as well as large parts of North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to a forecast Thursday from the U.S. Climate Prediction Center for July 19 to Oct. 31.

There may be improvement in Arizona and the Southwest as rains come in from the Pacific.

At least 72 per cent of the U.S. is abnormally dry or in some stage of drought, according to the Drought Monitor. Abnormally dry means drought may be developing, Smith said.

Hot, dry conditions have been caused in part by the jet stream’s retreat into Canada. Most of the rain the U.S. receives will have to come from brief and sporadic thunderstorms, which won’t be enough to make up deficits, said Michael Brewer, a physical scientist with the National Climatic Data Center.

Fortunately this has nothing to do with anthropogenic global warming which is, after all, a complete hoax perpetrated by a coven of world scientists to reap enormously lucrative research grants.