The American West is locked in its worst drought on record

 ... bringing renewed water restrictions, wildfire danger and angst to one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, just as the heat of summer approaches.

Much of the West has been mired in a drought stretching back to the beginning of the century—the driest in 1,200 years, according to tree-ring records analyzed by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles.

WSJ 27 May 2022

https://www.wsj.com/articles/most-of-u-s-west-is-in-severe-drought-as-peak-wildfire-season-looms-11653659433