The current drought in the Southwest is not drier or longer-lasting than historic episodes documented in tree rings, but the current dry conditions stand out from the historical record by being hotter, according to Jonathan Overpeck, professor of geosciences at the University of Arizona.
The June climate outlook favors a hotter-than-average start to summer for the southern and eastern United States and a cooler-than-average June for the north-central and northwestern U.S.
But lower emissions will reduce the intensity of the driest years of megadrought events.