“Thirstwaves” Are Growing More Common Across the United States
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/thirstwaves-are-growing-more-common-across-the-united-states
A thirstwave is a period of extremely high evaporative demand that like its cousin the heat wave, can wreak havoc on a growing season. To be called a thirstwave, the ETos must be above the 90th percentile for at least 3 days.
The researchers studied ETos measurements for the contiguous United States for the 1981–2021 growing seasons, examining the intensity, duration, and frequencies of the thirstwaves they identified at the county level. They then grouped the results into nine regions.
The researchers’ analysis showed that thirstwaves occurred an average of 2.9 times throughout the growing season of April through October and had an average duration of 4 days. The longest duration was 17 days, and the greatest frequency was 20 events per season. Across the nation, the High Plains experienced the most intense thirstwaves; the South, Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and West Coast experienced the longest average duration (approximately 4.5 days), and the West Coast and South experienced the highest frequency (around 3.5 events per season).