DROUGHT

You’ve probably seen it in your own neighborhood but, if not, you’ve certainly noticed it around town: lawns are turning brown.

Even though it’s winter, drought can continue to expand. A large part the the U.S. is in drought, and now Michigan has the beginnings of drought conditions. While not officially drought, the lowest status of dryness ranked by the U.S. Drought Monitor is called abnormal dryness. Michigan had a fairly large area put into the abnormally dry status in the past week. Michigan went from 26 percent abnormally dry in late January to 46 percent abnormally dry on February 1.

The most severe level of drought is called exceptional drought, and only one percent of the U.S. has that level of drought. The drought area is indeed spreading east, with some drought areas now in Michigan. Drought status as of December 28, 2021The Upper Peninsula has the true drought regions now, with areas of moderate drought. The more concerning drought development is the growing drought areas in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. The close proximity to hot air could put Michigan eventually into that hot air.

Fed by rain and snowmelt from mountains, this valley nestled among northwestern Afghanistan’s jagged peaks was once fertile

Warmer temperatures associated with climate change will impact Michigan's fall color show in the years to come.

Warmer temperatures associated with climate change will impact Michigan's fall color show in the years to come.

This massive wall of flames from the Caldor Fire was captured by a firefighter at the Reno Fire Department as crews battle to protect a structure in South Lake Tahoe, California, on Aug. 30.

Just this week, a major Southern California water agency declared a water supply alert for the first time in seven years, and is asking residents to voluntarily conserve. Many of the state’s counties are already under a state of drought emergency.

Drought conditions gripping the western U.S. have driven down levels in water resources across the West.

Dry and hot weather stretches in Michigan have elevated potential fire dangers in parts of the state, mostly in the Upper Peninsula.

Sunday, May 2, 2021 weather forecast.

Welcome to Saturday night, Motown.

Welcome to Saturday evening, Motown.

Temperatures continue to increase this afternoon.

The family and representatives of Black men slain by the police met with senators and White House officials Thursday — and left optimistic that police reform could be approved by May 25, the anniversary of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Following a joint congressional address Wednesday night in which President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve reform by May 25, the families and their representatives met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

LANSING, Mich. Michigans Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is making data on programs related to weather conditions available to farmers. The Geographic Information System viewer allows the agency to take different types of data sets and turn them into easy-to-understand visuals like maps. The data is from resources like the Michigan State University Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The viewer will be updated as new information is identified. Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Gary McDowell said financial assistance programs can be critical for farmers as extreme weather conditions such as drought, deep freezes or flooding impacts their ability to plant, harvest or tend to their crops.

6/21: Pope Francis takes on the mob; Why are coffee prices rising? Pope Francis takes on the mob and brands its members an example of "the adoration of evil"; and, Drought in Latin American and the Caribbean is causing the price of coffee to rise worldwide.