Effects on Precipitation

More water vapor held by a warmer atmosphere also leads to heavier rains and more snowfall.  Intense precipitation over the U.S. has increased 20% over the last century.

But as storm tracks shift, it can also mean some areas get drier. A 2004 study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research found that the percentage of Earth’s land experiencing serious drought had more than doubled since the 1970s.