Experts: Calif. drought will only get worse
By Veronica Rocha, Los Angeles Times
California is probably headed into a deeper drought this summer, making it harder to escape in the future, an expert says.
With more than 80 percent of the state in an extreme drought, dry conditions will probably continue and won’t improve much in the next few months, said climatologist Brian Fuchs of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska.
New National Weather Service data show that more than 80 percent of California is now in an extreme drought.
The prolonged statewide drought means it will be “harder to break the cycle,” much like some thirsty regions in Oklahoma and the entire state of Texas, which have been struggling with drought since 2010, he said.
A U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday showed 81 percent of California in the category of extreme drought or worse, up from 78 percent. Three months ago, it was 68 percent.