Drought map shows extreme shortages

May 19, 2014

Topic

Maps  / 

From the U.S. National Drought Monitor.

The entire state of California is in some level of drought, much of it extreme to exceptional. Snowpack is 50 percent of normal in many locations in the West, and Svoboda noted that a lot of snow has completely melted before it normally would.

Drought has had a serious impact on fruit and vegetable agriculture in California, and news reports sounded the alarm for grains and livestock in the Plains and South Central West. At least 54 percent of the nation’s wheat crop is affected by some level of drought, as is 30 percent of corn, and 48 percent of cattle.

Hey, Californians, if you could dial your sprinklers down a couple notches so that we can bathe this summer, that’d be great. Thanks.