Warmer, Thirstier Air Worsens Drought

Human-caused warming increases atmospheric thirst, leading to higher evaporation and transpiration, which worsens droughts globally and specifically in the western U.S. In the southwestern U.S., the 2000-2021 megadrought was the most severe in 1,200 years, with over 40% of its severity attributed to climate change. The western U.S. faces increasing risks of hydrological drought from declining snowpack and compound events involving heat, drought, and wildfires, which caused over $38 billion in damages during 2020-2021.

• Human-caused warming increases the potential for evaporation from land and transpiration from plants, which contributes to drying in many regions of the world, although trends remain unclear in some areas.
• The southwestern United States has seen a clear increase in droughts tied to human-caused climate change; specifically, the megadrought from 2000 to 2021 was the most severe in 1,200 years, and more than 40% of its severity is linked to human-caused warming.
• The western U.S. is experiencing increased risks of hydrological drought due to earlier spring melt and declining snowpack, as well as compound events. In 2020 and 2021, a series of compound heat, drought, and wildfire events caused damages exceeding $38 billion.

APA

Climate Central (n.d.). Warmer, Thirstier Air Worsens Drought. https://www.climatecentral.org/toolkit-drought

Chicago

Climate Central. Warmer, Thirstier Air Worsens Drought. n.d. https://www.climatecentral.org/toolkit-drought.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Warmer, Thirstier Air Worsens Drought |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/toolkit-drought |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentralndwarmer, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Warmer, Thirstier Air Worsens Drought}}, institution = {Climate Central}, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/toolkit-drought}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }