First 6 Months Of 2014 By Far Hottest On Record For California; 4.6F Over Historic Average
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The increasingly dire water situation across California is being compounded by unusual heat. Long-term weather records maintained by the National Climatic Data Center show that California had its warmest January-June period since record-keeping began in 1895, with the average temperature 4.6 degrees Fahrenheit above average and more than 1 degree warmer than the previous record, set in 1934. July figures have yet to be released.
"In the business of climate science, this is a shattering of a record," said Jonathan Overpeck, a professor of geosciences and co-director of the University of Arizona's Institute of the Environment. "We are fairly certain that the unusual warmth is mostly due to human-caused global warming."
For climate scientists, it can be difficult to trace the influence of climate change in the weather patterns of a year or two. But after decades with average temperatures on the rise, Overpeck said the extraordinary heat during this drought makes it a "global warming drought" that is indicative of the hotter dry spells expected in the future.
While California and the West are naturally prone to drought and have experienced long-lasting mega-droughts in the past, scientists say the long-term trend of rising average temperatures is now packing an extra punch. Hotter temperatures worsen droughts by reducing mountain snowpack and causing more evaporation from streams and reservoirs. Heat also draws more moisture from plants and the soil, and increases the amounts of water needed to irrigate crops and vegetation.
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http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/investigations/2014/08/10/california-record-heat-extreme-drought/13856149/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=