Around the world, 2012 was the year of ‘drought and heat’

• January 2, 2013

State of the US drought, September 25 2012

Courtesy: United States Department of Agriculture, 2012

The “Heat and Drought of 2012″ caused crops to wither and Mississippi River levels to plunge while yielding the warmest year on record for the U.S.

The Setup

The drought and heat had their origins during the prior winter.

A fast storm track over northern Canada during the winter of 2011-2012 prevented cold air from making many visits into the U.S. and kept the frigid air locked up near the Arctic Circle.

According to Expert Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, “This pattern, in turn, resulted in mild Pacific air over much of the U.S. and southern Canada. Additionally, a lack of snow cover over southern Canada then allowed any air coming southward to further warm up before entering the U.S.”

The lack of cold air in the U.S. then greatly limited the intensity of storms during the winter and influenced the form of precipitation.

Many stream and river systems are fed by the melting of snow cover and the release of frozen water in the ground through the spring and early summer.

Read more: Accuweather >>


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TckTckTck is the online hub for the Global Call for Climate Action. The GCCA represents an unprecedented alliance of more than 400 nonprofit organizations from around the world. Our shared mission is to mobilize civil society and galvanize public support to ensure a safe climate future for people and nature, to promote the low-carbon transition of our economies, and to accelerate the adaptation efforts in communities already affected by climate change.

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