Is America facing yet another dust bowl?

[Starfury]

Looks like shrub could have yet another distinguising mark on his record...

Conditions similar to those that led to 1930s drought

STATE COLLEGE, PA — Accu-Weather.com meteorologists have warned oceanic conditions similar to those that triggered the ruinous "Dust Bowl" drought again appear to be in place.

The exceptionally warm Atlantic waters that played a major role in the record-breaking 2005 hurricane season, coupled with cooler-than-normal Pacific waters, are weakening and changing the course of a low-level jet stream that normally channels moisture into the Great Plains.

Effects are starting to be felt in "America's breadbasket," as the southern Great Plains region is already suffering from higher temperatures and a prolonged lack of precipitation.

Why could a new Dust Bowl drought occur?

(...)

"It is not a coincidence that the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s were marked by years of tremendous hurricane activity," said AccuWeather.com Hur-ricane Center Chief Forecaster Joe Bastardi.

(...)

http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=58&ArticleID=17343&TM=57545.85

But the jury's still out on global warming.... :puke:

[lovuian]

1. I know Oklahoma and Texas where the fires were

is very very dry...

[RoyGBiv]

7. And Kansas ...

Oklahoma these past couple years is reminding me of a few years in the 70's. As a kid, it was pretty nice because it meant hot temperatures in the summer but without the typical humidity to go along with it. Last summer was very pleasant on that score, and the one before wasn't very bad. It did get really hot, but it wasn't anything like the heat combined with humidity so thick it became hard to breathe that is normal. The summers of 1999 and 2000 were truly awful.

But of course, this is dangerous. Besides the increased risk of fire, the water resivoirs dry up, and farmers have trouble with their crops. *Some* of the conditions that made the Dust Bowl era so bad have been addressed, to a point. In addition to much better crop rotation and top soil managment over the years, tree breaks were planted decades ago, and that prevents the winds from creating the massive dust storms that would cover several states. Corporate farming since the 80's has made a dent in these tree breaks by "reclaiming" the land on which they are planted and using them for ranching and growing crops, though, and that may be a problem. I suppose we'll see come July and August.

[madrchsod]

2. drier than hell here in northern illinois

no snow cover and no rain.i think last fall we were 15-20 inches short..we need tons of rain to catch up...

[shanti]

5. damn

and we're getting a LOT of rain right now in northern cali...but that's normal at this time of year. it IS getting more humid here tho, and it used to NEVER be humid.

[Kagemusha]

3. You read the "1930's" part, didn't you?

re: the global warming comment.

Hardly saying there isn't any, but it's like people want to forget there is a past.

[Starfury]

4. Yes, I did read it. Why do you say I'm trying to forget the past?

[mrcheerful]

6. Also remember 1930 was after the industrial age started and factories were

dumping millions of tons of green house gasses into the air, they had been doing that unchecked from 1900 until 1930. Plus the 1920's saw a boom of auto mobiles with no restrictions on the green house gasses they released. Also remember that with the great depression a lot of those same factories were shut down. Think about that factor that seems to be left out of the NWS study.

[Tom Joad]

8. I can tell you from bitter experience the first dust bowl was no

picnic.

My whole family had to make the trip to california... and we lost a few of our kin on the way... and we were exploited, treateed real mean sometimes.
My experiences got me thinkin... well, it was the things Rev Casy was telling me... what if we were one big soul. So what happened to one of us happened to everyone. So when a baby is born, the whole community celebrates. Or when people are fighting for justice for themselves or struggling just to feed their families, it was everyone's struggle. I had to find these things out for myself. Had to become part of that soul. I told my Ma (couldn't stay with her... um.. legal problems) that "I'll be aroun' in the dark. I'll be everywhere-wherever you look. Wherever there is a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there is a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there..."