This massive heat wave across the western US means the little bit of snowpack in the Rockies is going to melt early and fast, creating a slew of problems in the weeks and months to come, from drinking water availability to fire danger. Most dramatically, it has considerably upped the chances that Lake Powell will reach below minimum power pool levels this year. That means water won't be able to flow through the turbines at Glen Canyon Dam, which provide electricity to 5.8 million homes and businesses across seven states. There's also a decent chance the lake reaches dead pool levels, which means water will not flow beyond the dam, destroying the Colorado River ecosystem through the Grand Canyon. Estimates of inflows to Lake Powell were at 36% of normal on March 1 and now they have been reduced to 27%. There's less coming in then going out.
Sierra snowpack compared to previous years--declining when it should be peaking. Will affect everything from fire danger to grocery prices.
They still have a long way to go and will have some crisis events along the way, but they seem to be at least starting to do something.
March temps in the Southwestern US are, as the meteorologists and climate scientists say, highly anomalous.
On the first of every month, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise issues a four-month outlook for wildland fire potential. There is much to dislike with today's forecast, but I thought I'd point out the July map for Texas. As the analysis says, "...the potential for extreme heat and flash drought is high in the pine-dominated Gulf coastal plain this summer." It goes on to say this: "...if drought does not ease in the short term and early season tropical activity avoids the Gulf Coast, a broad area from East Texas to Florida could see periods of well above normal fire activity through the summer." In other words, unless some very wet tropical systems make it into the Gulf, things could be grim. I don't think we are in 2011 territory just yet, but it's too close for comfort. Of course, the saving grace is that unlike abundant dry lightning in the Mountain West, ignitions are not regular or usual in East Texas, save for the idiots burning trash and arsonists. Looking at the big picture, the SW will start in a couple of weeks and intensify through early July before the monsoons arrive. The PNW and NorCal will come online 6 weeks ahead of regular and will put pressure on the entire national system for the remainder of the summer and probably through Thanksgiving. If East Texas pops, that's a lot more people and communities at risk and in the best years, we don't have enough resources to handle all those regions at the same time--and if you've been following the news at all, you realize this is not close to our best year for staffing and I expect fatigue to be a major problem by mid-August. Here are the April, May, and June maps for reference. Note the southern Great Plains will continue for another month or so. The entire report can be found at: https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/predictive/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf
Texas Monthly interview with meteorologist Matt Lanza, who is leaving Houston for Connecticut in part because of climate. It's a quick read, but one with some good insights. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/matt-lanza-leaving-houston/
Would you sip Gulf seawater? Study looks at potential of converting it into SE Texas drinking water GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Gulf could soon be more than just a place to enjoy the beach. It could be how you get your drinking water. Study explores new water source, but Gulf Coast visitors are hesitant Galveston visitors enjoy swimming in the water, but the idea of using it as drinking water seems farfetched. "It looks a little dirty," Pam Thomas said. "That's all." Using saltwater as drinking water may one day become a reality. This summer, a yearlong study will take place, looking at using seawater as drinking water in southeast Texas. "I would just not like that idea," Pam Thomas said. "Just saying. It might bug me a little "I would need to see the process," Mark Thomas added. "I would need to see the product. I would need to see some evidence before I make a judgment on that." The Gulf Coast Water Authority is one of three agencies signed on to a new study to look at turning salt water into drinking water, a new source that would go to places like Galveston, League City, and Rosenberg. Seawater-into-drinking water isn't new, but it's a complex process Officials said the technology already exists, but it's expensive. The $731,000 study will determine if creating a new plant in southeast Texas would make sense. "The water supply in Texas is finite," Jake Hollingsworth, Gulf Coast Water Authority assistant general manager, explained. "We have a limited amount of water, and it's really important for the state and us, too, to diversify our portfolios." Turning this water into drinking water takes a lot of electricity. The water would receive a lot of pressure and then run through a filter. Officials say the end product is one they've enjoyed in areas that already do this. "It tastes like water," Hollingsworth said. New process would take years to put into place Officials said they need a long-term plan because they only have so much groundwater, an idea not just floating in southeast Texas. "In Texas, specifically, the Corpus Christi area is looking at desalination," Hollingsworth said. The study will examine the cost of a new desalination plant and its possible location. This plan would take several years. "There's at least 10 years of work before we even start thinking about where we're getting water out of the Gulf, probably," Hollingsworth explained. It's an endorsement not everyone is ready to swallow quite yet. "I don't like saltwater in my boat, and I don't care for saltwater in a variety of ways except visiting someone else's place and keeping it in the Gulf," Mark Thomas said. __________ Experts look to desalinate salt water as local population, need for drinking water rises in region HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Experts say that as the population here rises, the demand for drinking water will increase. That's why local researchers have been looking at the best way to use saltwater and turn it into purified drinking water. The process is called desalination, and experts explained that this process could soon be implemented more in the region. Physics expert Zhi Feng Ren said there are multiple ways to separate the salt from the water and purify it, such as vaporization, as well as reverse osmosis, which is a process of applying pressure to the salt water so the salt doesn't go through. Ren even spoke about electrodialysis, which takes the salt out and makes it into pure water. "The purity of the water you produce really has different applications. Say, for agricultural applications, you don't care about the high purity, but for drinking water, you care about all kinds of impurities you don't want to put into your body," Ren said Desalination, Ren explained, needs financing. He described how the demand right now continues to increase as data centers also need fresh water since they use a lot of power. In the fall of 2025, the Gulf Coast Water Authority told ABC13 that with an increase in the local population, the region will also need more drinking water. The agency said it has been working on a study to desalinate water from the Brazos River, saying that if those findings go well, there could be a site created in the next 10 years. In the meantime, a company called EPCOR Utilities is trying to bring a desalination plant to Texas City in the next five years and has its sights set on an abandoned facility off State Highway 146.
Not sure what'll be worse in drinking desalinated Gulf waters, the saltwater or the oil-waste remnants in it...
Since you think that desalination is just removing salt (but still somehow saltwater), the worst thing is probably the flesh-eating bacteria.
Get ready for the Super El Niño, which is spanish for Bigass El Niño https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ne...o-2026-forecast-hurricane-season-22191622.php https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/04/06/super-el-nino-chances-increasing-risks/
Across most of the continental US, temps next week will be well above summer norms and set a huge number of records--we are talking thousands of daily highs and nighttime highs.
What's happening in the Southeast is reminiscent of Texas in 2011 in that there's a drought that is happening but it is not registering with many of the people living there. This representation of reduced streamflow due to lack of rain shows it clearly though. This is going to be tough on riverine and bay systems as well as the aquatic populations that live there. Then there is the other side, which is crop damage and fire danger. (They might get some rain this weekend, but they are way behind normal precip amounts.)
That drought was ****ing brutal. I remember seeing tiny fires on the side of i45 when I was stuck in traffic. Like they belonged there and I didn’t.
