Drought

Rapid snowmelt may affect Utah's ski industry, which contributes billions of dollars to the local economy each year.

Dust From the Drying Great Salt Lake Is Wreaking Havoc on Utah's Snow

Last year, the snow melted 17 days earlier because of dust, which warms more quickly than pure white powder, a new study finds

Alessandro Biancardi says he caught the biggest catfish he'd ever seen in his 23 years as a professional fisherman.

Fisherman Reels in 'Monster' Nine-Foot Catfish in Italy

The behemoth, found in the Po River, may have set a world record for the longest catch-and-release catfish

Researchers declare the onset of El Niño when the temperature of the water in the tropical Eastern Pacific is at least 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 Celsius) above average for a three-month period.

El Niño Has Arrived

The natural climate pattern usually increases global temperatures and could lead to record-breaking heat

The Colorado River's Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell.

States Propose Landmark Deal to Conserve the Colorado River

The water cuts suggested by California, Arizona and Nevada are not as ambitious as those proposed by the federal government, but they will buy time

Wildfire during Greece's 2021 heatwave, which experts have linked to climate change

The Next Five Years Will Almost Certainly Be the Warmest on Record, U.N. Says

Earth is likely to pass 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming over pre-industrial levels, a key climate threshold, by 2027, according to a new report

Despite making up roughly 14 percent of Cape Town's population, the wealthiest residents used 51 percent of the city's water—often for non-essential uses like swimming pools, gardens and car-washing.

Wealthy Residents' Pools and Gardens Are Driving Water Crises

Urban elites use a disproportionate share of water compared to their lower-income peers, according to a new study

Lake Mead in July 2021—the lighter colored rocks indicate how high water levels used to be. Last summer, the lake was filled to just 27 percent of capacity, its lowest water levels since 1937.

U.S. Proposes Cuts to Colorado River Water Usage

Negotiations between states have not produced an agreement on how to allocate the dwindling water, so the federal government has offered tentative plans

A person clears snow off their car in February 2023 after a snowstorm in Provo, Utah.

Utah Shatters Snowpack Records, but Its Drought Remains

Unprecedented winter storms may provide temporary relief for the state's water problems

Ambulance boats and tourist gondolas are having a tough time getting around in Venice.

A Long Low Tide Dries Up Venice's Smaller Canals

A high-pressure anticyclone is driving the situation, making it difficult to get around the carless city

A reconstruction of a painted fresco depicting the Battle of Kadesh between the Egyptian Empire and the Hittite Empire.

Severe Drought May Have Contributed to the Decline of the Hittites

The empire abruptly vanished around 1200 B.C.E., and ancient tree rings suggest climate played a role

Dead aspen trees, shrunken by drought, wither near Grant Lake in California last October.

California Lost 36 Million Trees to Drought Last Year

The die-off is expected to continue despite this winter’s rain storms

Boat docks sit on dry, cracked earth at the Great Salt Lake's Antelope Island Marina on August 1, 2021, near Syracuse, Utah.

Drying Great Salt Lake Could Expose Millions to Toxic Arsenic-Laced Dust

The largest saline lake in North America is on track to collapse within five years, a new report finds

California Department of Water Resources officials prepare to measure the snowpack at Phillips Station in El Dorado County, California, on Tuesday.

California’s Snowpack Is High Above Average—but Its Drought Is Far From Over

While extreme storms have boosted the state’s snowpack, they’ve also caused destructive flooding

Watermelon snow near the summit of the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska.

Why Some Western Snow Is Turning Pink

Algae bring a rosy hue to some mountain snowpacks, which might accelerate melting

The Colorado River passes through the Grand Canyon.

A Century Ago, This Water Agreement Changed the West. Now, the Region Is in Crisis

Much has changed since the Colorado River Compact was signed in 1922

Barges stranded by low water in the Mississippi River in Rosedale, Mississippi, a small town near where the lion fossil was found

Drought Reveals Rare American Lion Fossil in Dried-Up Mississippi River

Low water levels have also stranded barge traffic and threatened drinking water

The current drought reveals lost items from earlier, wetter times, like this sunken boat near Iceberg Canyon.

The Breathtaking Glen Canyon Reveals Its Secrets

Water woes threaten America’s second largest reservoir—but leave new vistas in their wake

Climate disasters, like flooding in Pakistan, have led to climate justice advocates pushing for "loss and damage" to be paid to developing countries.

Denmark Will Pay ‘Loss and Damage’ to Developing Countries for Climate Change Impacts

The country has pledged $13 million, which will go to the Sahel region in northwestern Africa and other impacted areas

Aerial view of the usually submerged ruins of the village of Aceredo in northwestern Spain on February 15, 2022

This Summer’s Drought Is Europe's Worst in 500 Years. What Happened Last Time?

The 1540 megadrought brought mass suffering to the continent, but European society quickly bounced back

Drought conditions caused Dinosaur Valley State Park's Paluxy River to dry up, revealing tracks not usually visible. 

Drought Exposes Dinosaur Tracks in Texas

The 113-million-year-old footprints were largely made by the carnivorous Acrocanthosaurus

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