Areas of southwestern Oregon and California continue to experience drought conditions.
“It’s something I’ve never seen in my career, and I’ve been here for more than 17 years,” said Dr Ron Flammang, a fisheries biologist with the Department of Natural Resources. “I think what we’re mainly dealing with here are two factors; the extreme lack of water and the heat.”
Many Californians were surprised by Dr Flammang’s comments because they believed that the drought was a result of God’s punishment for California’s policies on medical marijuana, euthanasia, prostitution, and same-sex marriage.
Other scientists have suggested that the primary reason for the drought are the high pressure systems because with the air pressing down in a high pressure zone, no currents of water vapor are carried upward. As a result, no condensation occurs. In addition, high-pressure areas push clouds and air currents downward and away, resulting in sunny, cloudless weather. Low-pressure systems see more cloudy, stormy weather.
Usually, however, we experience both high- and low-pressure systems. It is normal for a high-pressure system to pass over an area and move on, being replaced by a low-pressure system. However, when a high-pressure system is stalled, the sunny weather can drag on for days. If it keeps on going, the result is a drought. High-pressure systems can be stalled by jet streams, wide bands of fast-moving air (up to 335 miles per hour) in the upper atmosphere.
