A new study (Klavans, 2025) by climate researchers at University of Colorado Boulder adds further worries for water managers. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which drives the delivery of moisture to the American Southwest, is locked in its “negative” phase. Those conditions result in persistent drought.
The PDO is similar to the El Nino / La Nina (ENSO) cycle in the tropical Pacific. While changes in wind direction across the tropical Pacific drive ENSO,…