Michigan could use some rain, but not the intense storms caused by climate change that are becoming more frequent. Weather and climate experts are keeping an eye on spring rains this year.
About a quarter of Michigan is experiencing moderate to severe drought. Mid-Michigan is especially hard-hit.
A couple of steady rainfalls would help before planting season starts. But too often in recent years we get intense storms dumping buckets of rain.
Jonathan Overpeck is the dean of the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. He’s an expert on climate change and climate-vegetation interactions.
“These storms are now getting supercharged. In particular, the amount and rate of rainfall is getting much larger,” Overpeck said.
He added that this is in line with the climate change models.
“As the atmosphere warms, it can hold more moisture. And this is something we’ve known forever. We’ve predicted it. Now it’s happening, and we can observe it.”
The frequency of more intense storms is also causing more flooding, sometimes in places where flooding has been very rare in the past.
He says the Midwest will see drier conditions when it’s dry and wetter when it’s wet.
