News Climate

Stalled global warming linked to North American drought

Powerful Pacific Ocean winds helped reduce rainfall in the southwestern United States

dried reservoir in California

DRY SPELL  Pacific Ocean winds that have stalled global warming may also support the continuing Western U.S. drought that has dried up reservoirs such as this one in Santa Clara, Calif., new research suggests.

Don DeBold/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

By Thomas Sumner

- More than 2 years ago

PHOENIX — The extreme winds blamed for putting the brakes on global warming may also have contributed to the record-setting drought currently parching the southwestern United States, suggests new research presented January 5 at the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting.