Twice the Wildfires
Hotter and drier conditions mean more fires in the American west. Warmer temperature has already doubled acres of forest fire in the last 20 years, adding 16,000 square miles of burned forest. And forest fires are predicted to double by the end of this century, as America keeps getting hotter and drier.
Megadroughts
Hotter seasons also sucks up moisture from the soil, increasing the risk of “megadroughts.” Climate change and warmer temperatures generally rob more moisture from soil and plants. Water evaporates into the air and eventually falls back down as rain, but thanks to wind, that water doesn’t always fall back in the same place. Areas that lose moisture from heat do not always get it back, allow for what would have been temporary dry spells in the past to turn into long-lasting droughts.
NASA predicts that a 10 year drought, like the Dust Bowl, will be twice as likely 50 years from now.