Worst of Drought Nears an End in Southwest

Research suggests the worst of the drought may be over for Colorado and the Southwest, with El Nino potentially bringing more snow this winter. But scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cautioned this week that it will take awhile to recover from the drought, one of the most severe on record.

Scientists also are unsure of the long-term effect of rising ocean temperatures that may have worsened the drought stretching from the United States to central Asia this year. They said the higher temperatures may be linked to higher volumes of man-made, heat-trapping gases, associated with global warming. “This has certainly been a huge drought for the Western United States, with substantial implications across the board,” said NOAA’s Randall Dole.

Relief could be on the way, particularly for the Southwest, including New Mexico and Arizona, because of the return of El Nino, meteorologist Klaus Wolter said.