When Does a Drought Occur?

Answer: If little or zero rainfalls, soil can dry and even plants can expire. When rainfall is definitely less than standard during a period of time of weeks to years, streamflows fall, water levels inside lakes and reservoirs fall, and typically the depth to normal water in wells improves. If dry weather conditions persist and water-supply problems develop, typically the dry period could become a drought.

A drought is definitely a period of drier-than-normal conditions which results in water-related problems.

The anticipation at a certain location varies by year upon season, but over a new period of decades the average sum is pretty constant. Inside the deserts in the Southwest, the regular precipitation is significantly less than 3 inches per year. As opposed, the average anticipation inside the Northwest is definitely more than one hundred fifty inches annually.