2021 Drought 2nd Worst In Oregon's Recorded History

The Oregon drought has reached historic proportions, driven by a dry spring/summer and years of low precipitation and surface water recharge. The last 5 months Mar-July received the 2nd lowest precipitation statewide on record (going back to 1895) with 1924 being the driest. 12-month precipitation time series also shows that 17 out of the last 21 years have been drier than normal in Oregon. Each year, water deficits have been accumulating, which makes drought impacts occur earlier and more severe in each successive year. On the water loss side of the ledger, the warming temperatures we've been experiencing has increased evaporative water loss from the landscape. This summer, for example, Oregon has experienced the warmest June-July period on record, breaking the previous mark in 2015 by 1.6°F. Considering both precipitation and evaporation, our current drought ranks second in recorded history. This comes from consideration of a key metric we use in Oregon for drought monitoring, the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). By this metric, the 2021 drought ranks among the most severe in Oregon's recorded history, alongside the historic droughts of 1924, 1977, and 1992. Via Oregon State Climate Office at Oregon State University Full thread: https://twitter.com/ORClimateSvc/status/1430591594801991680?s=20 Here is the latest US Drought map: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OR