Climate Matters: Despite extensive drought, last year was wetter than average

2024 was the year of extremes from the hottest temperatures in recorded history to the wettest year in the United States this decade. These overlapping extremes are becoming more common as climate change disrupts environmental cycles.

Last year was wetter than any year in the United States since 2019, but there was considerable variation across the country and throughout the year.

In Missouri, 2024 began with over 90% of the state abnormally dry, according to the United States Drought Monitor. The spring saw variable precipitation, followed by a wet summer that dropped drought coverage below 10% for much of May through July.

An extreme rain event on the 4th of July, and more rain a few days later, dropped 8 to 12 inches of rainfall in central and eastern MO, a record-wet start to the month for parts of the area.

However, conditions worsened into the fall as Missouri experienced its 11th driest stretch from August to October. This was a trend felt nationwide, 88% of the continental United States was abnormally dry or worse by November 5th, the largest drought coverage ever in the United States Drought Monitor history.

Extensive drought punctuated by heavy rainfall is a trend climatologists have seen coming. "With these warmer temperatures that we're seeing in Missouri and across the globe, it allows the atmosphere to hold more water. We can see more extreme rainfall and precipitation out of these rainfall events," says Zachary Leasor, the Missouri State Climatologist.

This is just one side of the coin. "But when it's dry, we've also got the increased temperature, which increases the atmospheric demand for water," Leasor says. "We could see more extremes on both the wet and dry side."

Drought has improved locally into early 2025, but a weak La Nina pattern developed recently, which may lower precipitation chances if it persists into the spring and summer.