Expert helps explain current drought

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - With temperatures reaching into the triple digits, and the entire region in moderate to severe drought, have many of you asking, “Why is this happening?”

News 10's Kevin Orpurt states the answers are complex, but can be summed up into a few simple details.

First, the water in the eastern pacific has been cooler than normal: a condition called, La Nina.

La Nina tends to bring drier conditions to the eastern United States.

That’s one of the reasons we didn’t have much snow this past winter.

Second, there is a thing called positive arctic oscillation.

This year, arctic oscillation has kept cold air father north than average, which is one of th reasons we had such a mild winter.

La Nina and positive arctic oscillation both work to keep the jet stream well to our north.

These same conditions have lasted until the present time: cooler than normal ocean temperatures; although La Nina is weakening, positive arctic oscillation and a jet stream running to our north contribute to our current hot and dry weather.

The sun is another possible reason.

Solar cycles and droughts tend to run roughly in 20 year cycles; so the fact that this is the worst drought since 1988 should come as no surprise, since it fits within the general pattern of solar cycles.

So, here we have the basic reasons for our current hot and dry weather: a warmer and drier than normal winter, an active sun and a jet stream well to our north.

Put those together, and they’ll help explain wwhy it’s so hot and dry outside.