Visualizing a Wet, Hot (and Also Very Dry) American Summer

Interactive maps of drought and precipitation show that U.S. weather in 2015 is a study in contrasts.

Geoff McGhee is a journalist and data visualizer at Stanford University’s  Bill Lane Center for the American West.

Data Points is a new series where we explore the world of data visualization, information graphics, and cartography.

From epic snowfall in the northeastern United States to a record heat wave in western Europe, the Northern Hemisphere—and the U.S. in particular—has experienced dramatic weather in 2015.

Perhaps nowhere has this been more evident than in the western U.S., where California is in the fourth year of its worst drought on record. Yet in late July, the southern part of the state was drenched by torrential rains that washed away two interstate highway bridges. That same week, on another interstate about a hundred miles away, a drought-fueled wildfire torched 20 cars as their panicked drivers fled.

To better track climatic conditions around the West and the country as a whole, my team at the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University,

DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.

Create your free account to continue reading

No credit card required. Unlimited access to free content.
Or get a Premium Subscription to access the best of Nat Geo - just $19
SUBSCRIBE

Read This Next

Did this mysterious human relative bury its dead?
This new birth control for cats doesn't require surgery
How the Zoot Suit Riots changed America

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet