Scenes From the Western Drought

Scenes From the Western Drought

Henry Fountain��Parched in Albuquerque

Much of the West is normally drier than other parts of the country, and droughts are not uncommon. Water has always been an issue here.

But scientists say climate change, with warming temperatures and shifting patterns of rain and snow, is making droughts worse.

And it’s reducing the chances that the region will have a couple of “wet” years in a row, which is what it would take to end this drought. The West may be facing a long-term “megadrought.”