An extremely dry October is causing a sudden drought in nearly half of the United States. More than 100 weather stations in 26 states, including Alaska, are reporting unprecedented drought levels this month. Cities like New York, Houston, Dallas, and Philadelphia are among the affected areas, as are typically dry locales such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.
Allison Santorelli from NOAA's Weather Prediction Center describes the situation as a path towards a record dryness in October. This is considered a "sudden drought," which differs from slowly developing dry periods. The drought is partly being caused by a high-pressure dome that has blocked moisture moving in from the Gulf of Mexico.
Brad Rippey, a meteorologist with the Department of Agriculture, points out that this is the third consecutive year of problematic water levels in the Mississippi River, threatening barge transportation of agricultural products. Although the drought arrived after the corn and soybean harvest, dry fields are prone to wildfires in the Midwest and East Coast of the United States.
The jet stream, responsible for moving weather systems across the globe, has become more wavy and prone to blockages due to additional Arctic warming attributed to anthropogenic climate change. This has led to stagnant weather patterns causing extreme disruptions, such as the flooding in North Carolina and Tennessee at the end of September.
Jennifer Francis, a scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, highlights that the current weather aligns with this theory. While storm systems are expected in some areas, much of the East and Southeast of the United States will continue experiencing dry conditions over the next week. Combined with accidental fires from agricultural equipment, the sudden drought is presenting significant challenges for the region.
