drought

The recent widespread aspen forest mortality in western North America was due to dehydration of the trees caused by drought, a new study finds. The four-year drought, from 2000 to 2004, caused the vascular systems that carry water through aspen stands to break down.

Temperatures throughout the West and Southwest were cooler than average during December, with some areas reporting temperatures 6-10 degrees F below normal, according to the December State of the Climate from NOAA. Most of Texas was wetter than average, improving drought conditions in the northern part of the state.

According to The Guardian, 2011 “rewrote the record books” with the highest ever recorded global greenhouse gas levels (394 parts per million at Mauna Loa in May), world population reaching 7 billion, and record investments in renewable energy ($211 billion since 2004), to name a few of the

Over the last month, drought conditions persisted throughout Arizona and New Mexico. However, several early winter storms improved conditions slightly throughout most of the region.

The past year’s drought in Texas resulted in the deaths of an estimated 100 to 500 million trees, according to an ongoing study by the Texas Forest Service.

West of the Rockies, temperatures were slightly below to well below normal this month, but regions of the Southwest east of Rockies saw temperatures near to slightly above average, according to the newest State of the Climate from NOAA.

Drought conditions in most of Arizona and New Mexico are forecasted to persist or intensify through the winter, according to the latest La Niña Drought Tracker from CLIMAS. La Niña conditions are also likely to persist through the winter, leading to increased chances of below-average precipitation.

Mexico has lost tens of thousands of acres of crops and hundreds of thousands of cattle as the worst drought in 70 years persists throughout the country, according to