Hydrology Archives

September 8, 2025

By Andrew Hoell, NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a recurring phenomenon defined by shifts in tropical...

THE WATER DESK: When the West’s rivers surge each spring, older groundwater dominates the runoff

The Water Desk

Hydrology

September 3, 2025

A better understanding of groundwater in the headwaters could improve streamflow predictions. By Mitch Tobin, The Water Desk Every spring,...

THE CONVERSATION: Droughts don’t just dry up water — they drain livelihoods and weaken local economies

The Conversation

Hydrology

August 27, 2025

By S. Mehmet Ozsoy, Concordia University and Erkan Yonder, Concordia University Unlike hurricanes and floods, which arrive suddenly and tend to dominate headlines with dramatic images of wrecked homes and submerged towns, droughts are often overlooked by media, governments and...

EOS: Tree rings record history of jet stream-related climate extremes

American Geophysical Union

Hydrology

August 21, 2025

Persistent spatial patterns of summer weather extremes in the northern hemisphere recorded in tree ring growth records provide a thousand-year...

YALE CLIMATE CONNECTIONS: Why winter rains keep skipping the Southwest

Yale Climate Connections

Colorado River Hydrology

August 15, 2025

by Bob Henson, Yale Climate Connections Climate change appears to have driven an ongoing 25-year shortfall in winter rains and...

THE CONVERSATION: Climate models reveal how human activity may be locking the Southwest into permanent drought

The Conversation

Colorado River Hydrology

August 14, 2025

By Pedro DiNezio, University of Colorado Boulder and Timothy Shanahan, The University of Texas at Austin A new wave of climate research is sounding a stark warning: Human activity may be driving drought more intensely – and more directly –...

INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: Atmospheric rivers may be diminishing on the West Coast and surging in the East, study finds

Inside Climate News

Hydrology

August 10, 2025

Over a 20-year period, atmospheric rivers could double the amount of rain falling on part of the Southeast, the researchers...

INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: Southwestern drought likely to continue through 2100, research finds

Inside Climate News

Colorado River Hydrology

July 18, 2025

Climate change is warming the North Pacific Ocean, leading weather patterns that drive drought in the U.S. Southwest to persist...

NIDIS: Digging Into the Significance of Soil Moisture at the 2025 National Soil Moisture Workshop

NIDIS

Hydrology

July 8, 2025

By NIDIS On the second morning of the 2025 National Soil Moisture Workshop, keynote speaker Syed Huq reminded the audience: “Mni wichoni, water is life.” Syed Huq is the director of Mni Wichoni Rural Water and Water Resources for the...

EOS: Years-old groundwater dominates spring mountain streams

American Geophysical Union

Hydrology

July 3, 2025

Alpine rain and snow take much longer to percolate into western U.S. streams than previously thought, adding complexity to long-standing...

WATER DESK: Q&A: Snow droughts imperil the American West’s water supply

The Water Desk

Hydrology

June 19, 2025

A lack of snow impacts the West’s water resources, wildfire risk, recreational activities and ecosystem health. By Mitch Tobin, Water...

DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Wet soils increase flooding during atmospheric river storms

Desert Research Institute

Hydrology

June 13, 2025

A new study examined decades of atmospheric river storms across the West Coast to pinpoint the conditions that lead to catastrophic flooding. By the Desert Research Institute Atmospheric rivers are responsible for most flooding on the West Coast of the...

UCSB: The atmosphere’s growing thirst is making droughts worse, even where it rains

UC Santa Barbara

Hydrology

June 5, 2025

By Harrison Tasoff, UC Santa Barbara Hot air holds more moisture. That’s why you can blow your hair dry even...

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH: Spring runoff is older than you think

University of Utah

Hydrology

June 4, 2025

New research finds water flowing out of Western ranges is, on average, more than 5 years old, demonstrating that runoff...

NIDIS: Drought brings the heat: New research finds drought lengthens heat waves

NIDIS

Hydrology

May 15, 2025

By NIDIS Drought and heat often appear together, but new research funded by NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System found that drought can lengthen heat waves occurring at the same time. Drought and extreme temperatures can dry out vegetation, leading...

Hydrology

NIDIS: The El Niño-Southern Oscillation and drought outlook in the United States

THE WATER DESK: When the West’s rivers surge each spring, older groundwater dominates the runoff

THE CONVERSATION: Droughts don’t just dry up water — they drain livelihoods and weaken local economies

EOS: Tree rings record history of jet stream-related climate extremes

YALE CLIMATE CONNECTIONS: Why winter rains keep skipping the Southwest

THE CONVERSATION: Climate models reveal how human activity may be locking the Southwest into permanent drought

INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: Atmospheric rivers may be diminishing on the West Coast and surging in the East, study finds

INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: Southwestern drought likely to continue through 2100, research finds

NIDIS: Digging Into the Significance of Soil Moisture at the 2025 National Soil Moisture Workshop

EOS: Years-old groundwater dominates spring mountain streams

WATER DESK: Q&A: Snow droughts imperil the American West’s water supply

DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Wet soils increase flooding during atmospheric river storms

UCSB: The atmosphere’s growing thirst is making droughts worse, even where it rains

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH: Spring runoff is older than you think

NIDIS: Drought brings the heat: New research finds drought lengthens heat waves

DAILY DIGEST, 9/10: One of the largest marine heat waves in decades is impacting CA weather; Huffman confident Eel River dam removal can’t be stopped; State Water Contractors pledge to push for streamlining for Delta tunnel; We take clouds for granted; and more …