This will be the third straight La Nina winter.
Officials in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say about 82 percent of the country is facing at least abnormally dry conditions, the largest drought footprint in the Lower 48 states since the Drought Monitor was unveiled in 2000. The NOAA anticipates the drought will expand from California to the Plains and branch out across the Southeast as a La Nina winter makes its third annual showing.
On the Arizona-Nevada border, Lake Mead’s already falling water level has exposed previously sunken boats, old warships and human remains. The record low water levels are exposing sedimentary rocks that have not been seen since the 1930s when the Hoover Dam was built and Lake Mead filled. Upstream on the Colorado River, water levels have fallen lower than thought possible at Glen Canyon Dam. There are concerns that energy production could halt as soon as July 2023.
The current drought has also lowered water levels along some stretches of the Mississippi River to the point that centuries-old shipwrecks are being revealed, and modern-day barge traffic has been compromised.
Water resources across Texas are only about 13 percent better than they were at this point during the extreme drought of 2011 when a supply shortage occurred during a La Nina summer.
Farmers in many states are facing the prospect of a challenging winter wheat season.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Under Secretary Richard Spinrad as he oversees the NOAA and Commerce’s Oceans and Atmosphere Office.
- For Director Ken Graham as he heads the National Weather Service.
- For the president and his climate advisors to seek God’s direction as they address the drought.
Sources: NOAA, CNN, Axios
