Spotlight WEATHER Something weird and worrying is happening with rain, study finds Doyle Rice USA Today May 25, 2026 May 25, 2026 Updated Aug 20, 2026 0 The walking bridge on the East River Trail is covered with water April 14 after heavy rainfall in Ledgeview, Wis. Sarah Kloepping, Imagn Images Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save 7 Day Forecast Sunday 83° / 67° Monday 73° / 62° Tuesday 83° / 65° Wednesday 85° / 67° Thursday 88° / 68° Friday 84° / 66° Saturday 85° / 66° Doyle Rice USA Today New research shows that though the world sees more rain overall, it's getting drier at the same time.kAmw@H 42? E92E 36n x? D:>A=6 E6C>D[ E96 H@C=5VD C2:?72== :?4C62D:?8=J :D A24<65 :?E@ 3:886C DE@C>D 36EH66? =@?86C 5CJ DA6==D[ 2?5 2 =@E @7 C2:? 2== 2E @?46 42FD6D AC@3=6>D 7@C @G6CH96=>65 D@:=]k^AmkAm%96 7:?5:?8D D2J E96 DEF5J :D E96 7:CDE E@ 56>@?DEC2E6 E92E 2 J62CVD H@CE9 @7 C2:?72== A24<65 :?E@ 3:886C 2?5 H6EE6C DE@C>D >62?D =6DD H2E6C 7@C 2BF:76CD 2?5 64@DJDE6>D[ 6G6? :7 E@E2= AC64:A:E2E:@? :?4C62D6D] q642FD6 D@:= 42? 23D@C3 @?=J D@ >F49 H2E6C 2E @?46[ H92E :D ?@E D@2<65 FA 4@==64ED @? E96 DFC7246[ H96C6 :E >@C6 C625:=J 6G2A@C2E6D]k^Am kAm$EF5J =625 2FE9@C r@C6J {6D<[ H9@ =65 E96 DEF5J H9:=6 2 76==@H 2E s2CE>@FE9 r@==686[ 6IA=2:?65 :Ei Q#682C5=6DD @7 9@H >F49 AC64:A:E2E:@? 72==D[ H96? C2:? 2?5 D?@H 4@>6 :? DEC@?86C 3FCDED D6A2C2E65 3J =@?86C 5CJ DA6==D[ =6DD H2E6C E6?5D E@ C6>2:? @? E96 =2?5 W:? D@:=D[ =2<6D[ 2?5 8C@F?5H2E6CX 7@C FD6 3J A6@A=6 2?5 ?2EFC6]Qk^Am People are also reading… WNC Renaissance Faire set for this weekend in McDowell County Stabbed husband saves wife by driving car into knife-wielding man, NC sheriff says Marion man accused of waving gun at people floating on Catawba River Burke superintendent addresses Draughn, Freedom football game called at halftime Lake Lure starts eviction proceedings against prominent business Baxter International issues recall of IV solutions made at McDowell County plant McDowell County commissioners approve six-month moratorium on data centers McDowell County animal advocate says well-known cat who lived along greenway missing McDowell EMS leader receives scholarship to attend UNC School of Government McDowell alumni spotlight: From Marion Elementary to leading the county's parks and rec Find out where the Carolina Panthers landed in ESPN's final preseason power rankings See McDowell Tech students who made President’s, Dean’s and Honors Lists 1 killed, 2 injured after train hit car in Hickory; Charges are pending in investigation Blue Ridge Parkway seeks public input on Linville Falls recovery plan 2 new Panthers to wear uniform numbers of beloved franchise legends k9amVsC:?< 7C@> 2 7:C69@D6Vk^9amkAm#6D62C496CD 2?2=JK65 8=@32= AC64:A:E2E:@? C64@C5D 7C@> `hg_ E@ a_aa 2?5 56E6C>:?65 E92E 2??F2= C2:?72== 3642>6 >@C6 4@?46?EC2E65 C682C5=6DD @7 H96E96C 2 =@42= 4=:>2E6 :D H6E @C 5CJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DEF5J AF3=:D965 |2J `b :? E96 A66C\C6G:6H65 qC:E:D9 ;@FC?2= }2EFC6]k^Am kAmQ(6 5:D4@G6C65 E92E :EVD ?@E ;FDE DFAA=J E92E 4@F?ED[ 3FE 2=D@ 9@H :EVD 56=:G6C65[Q yFDE:? |2?<:?[ E96 DEF5JVD D6?:@C 2FE9@C 2?5 2? 2DD@4:2E6 AC@76DD@C @7 86@8C2A9J 2E s2CE>@FE9[ D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] Q#2:?72== 4@?46?EC2E:@? :D 6DD6?E:2==J 2D<:?8 E96 =2?5 E@ 5C:?< 7C@> 2 7:C69@D6] (96? C2:?72== :D :?E6?D6[ J@F 86E >@C6 4@?D64FE:G6 5CJ 52JD[ 3FE >@C6 :>A@CE2?E :D E92E 962G:6C C2:?D =625 E@ DFC7246 A@?5:?8 E92E :D >@C6 62D:=J 6G2A@C2E65 3J E96 2E>@DA96C6]Qk^Am kAmQxE 5@6D?VE >2EE6C H96C6 J@F 2C6[ >@C6 4@?D@=:52E65 C2:?72== >62?D =6DD H2E6C :D 2G2:=23=6 7@C E96 =2?5[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am k9amxD 4=:>2E6 492?86 E@ 3=2>6nk^9amkAm#6D62C496CD D2J :EVD 2 =:<6=J 42FD6]k^AmkAmQ(6 5:5 ?@E DA64:7:42==J E6DE E@ H92E 6IE6?E C646?E EC6?5D E@H2C5D >@C6 4@?46?EC2E65 AC64:A:E2E:@? 2C6 42FD65 3J 4=:>2E6 492?86[Q {6D< D2:5] QqFE E96J 2C6 4@?D:DE6?E H:E9 H92E H6 H@F=5 6IA64E 7C@> E96 E96@CJ @7 9@H H2C>:?8 D92A6D 9@H C2:?72== :D 5:DEC:3FE65 :? E:>6]Qk^AmkAmQ(6 D9@H E92E H2C>:?8 H6:89D E96 5:46 7@C 5CJ:?8[ C682C5=6DD @7 H96E96C E@E2= AC64:A:E2E:@? :?4C62D6D @C 564C62D6D :? E96 7FEFC6[Q 96 25565]k^Am kAm{@@<:?8 29625[ E96 DEF5J AC@;64ED E92E C2:?72== H:== 8C@H >@C6 4@?D@=:52E65 2D 8=@32= E6>A6C2EFC6D C:D6 5F6 E@ 4=:>2E6 492?86] p? :?4C62D6 @7 b]e 568C66D 4@F=5 =625 E@ 23?@C>2==J 5CJ =2?5 4@?5:E:@?D 7@C afT @7 E96 H@C=5VD A@AF=2E:@?[ @77D6EE:?8 2 C:D6 :? E@E2= C2:?72==[ E96 C6D62C496CD C6A@CE65 :? E96 DEF5J]k^Am kAmQ%9:D :D ?@E 2 8@@5 67764E H6VG6 F?4@G6C65[Q D2JD {6D<[ H9@ :D ?@H 2 AC@76DD@C @7 t2CE9 2?5 2E>@DA96C:4 D4:6?46D 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 "F6364 :? |@?EC62=] QxE C62==J 6IA@D6D E96 >6492?:4D @7 9@H 4=:>2E6 492?86 H:== 27764E H2E6C C6D@FC46D 7@C 6G6CJ@?6]Qk^Am kAmQr@?D@=:52E:@? @7 C2:?72== F?56C 8=@32= H2C>:?8 H:== =625 E@ 2 5C:6C =2?5 DFC7246[Q |2?<:? D2:5] Q(92E :D F?C6D@=G65 :D H96E96C 7FEFC6 E@E2= AC64:A:E2E:@? 492?86D 42? <66A 2A246]Qk^Am k9am#6D@FC46 492==6?86k^9amkAmp? 6CC2E:4 3@@>\3FDE 4J4=6 @7 962GJ C2:?72== 2?5 =@?8 5C@F89ED H:== 4@>A=:42E6 E96 >2?286>6?E @7 AF3=:4 H2E6C DFAA=:6D[ |2?<:? D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E[ 6DA64:2==J :? 2C:5 C68:@?D H96C6 H2E6C DE@C286 :D 4C:E:42=]k^Am kAm{6D< D2:5 QE9:D 255D 2 =2J6C @7 492==6?86 E@ >2?28:?8 H2E6C C6D@FC46D — 3FE E96 8@@5 ?6HD :D E92E :7 H6 F?56CDE2?5 E9:D 4@?46?EC2E:@? 67764E[ H6 42? :?4@CA@C2E6 :E 36EE6C :?E@ H2E6C >2?286>6?E[ 5C@F89E 7@C642DE:?8[ 6E4]Qk^AmkAmQ#2:?72== 4@?46?EC2E:@? :D ?@E EJA:42==J :?4=F565 :? E9@D6 2DD6DD>6?ED[ =2C86=J 3642FD6 :ED :>A@CE2?46 H2D?VE F?56CDE@@5 F?E:= ?@H[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am kAm%96 DEF5J AC6D6?ED 2 ?6H H2J @7 E9:?<:?8 23@FE H2E6C C6D@FC46D 3J D9@H:?8 E92E 9@H 2?5 H96? C2:? 72==D 5FC:?8 E96 J62C :D 2D :>A@CE2?E 2D 9@H >F49 72==D 2== J62C[ |2?<:? D2:5] r=:>2E6 D4:6?E:DED AC@;64E E92E 2 H2C>6C 4=:>2E6 H:== C6DF=E :? >@C6 C2:?[ 3FE :EVD =6DD 46CE2:? :7 E92E >62?D >@C6 H2E6C 7@C E96 =2?5[ 96 25565]k^Am k9am(6DE6C? H2C?:?8k^9amkAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 DEF5J[ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D H6DE @7 E96 |:DD:DD:AA: #:G6C 6IA6C:6?465 D@>6 @7 E96 H@C=5VD 9:896DE =6G6=D @7 C2:? 4@?D@=:52E:@?[ H:E9 J62C=J C2:?72== 7@C E96 #@4<J |@F?E2:?D 364@>:?8 a_T >@C6 4@>A24E65 :?E@ 962G:6C 5@H?A@FCD]k^AmkAmr2=:7@C?:2 72465 E9:D :DDF6 C646?E=J 5FC:?8 =@?8\E6C> 5C@F89ED H96? 2E>@DA96C:4 C:G6CD 5C6?4965 E96 DE2E6[ |2?<:? D2:5] (2E6C >2?286CD >FDE 564:56 H96E96C E@ C6=62D6 AC64:@FD C6D6CG@:CD @7 H2E6C E@ 4@==64E 7C6D9=J 72==6? C2:?H2E6C H:E9 ?@ 46CE2:?EJ @7 9@H =@?8 E96 ?6H DFAA=J H:== =2DE]k^Am 0 Comments Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story 'Am I out?' Drought and rising costs from Iran war deepen pain for US farmers Even before the war, farmers were struggling with a resurgent drought, high input costs, and fallout from Trump's trade policies, which hobble… Pope Leo urges world to 'slow down' on AI in fervent first manifesto He also apologized for the church's role in slavery, and repudiated a doctrine used since the fifth century to justify some wars. How a deep-ocean desalination startup hopes to rewrite California’s water future Desalination plants are notoriously large electricity users. The company OceanWell estimates its technology will cut that electricity use by u… A powerful El Niño is set to reshape global weather in 2026 Previous El Niños fueled wildfires, caused extreme flooding and mega droughts, prompted widespread coral bleaching and disrupted marine life m… Study: Bird populations are shrinking faster in ag hotspots — including Midwest The loss of bird populations has been documented since the 1970s. Wildfires killed nearly 20% of the world’s giant sequoias. How crews are racing to save the rest Five years ago, a tragic environmental story unfolded when thousands of giant sequoia trees, an iconic California species that can live for 3,… Watch Now: Related Video Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz drive oil prices as US and Iran both claim control US: U.S. secures access to Venezuelan oil while continuing to deport its citizens. US: U.S. secures access to Venezuelan oil while continuing to deport its citizens. Machado challenges Venezuela's 'illegitimate' interim govt over massive US oil deal Machado challenges Venezuela's 'illegitimate' interim govt over massive US oil deal Funerals held in Iran for wedding party victims of US missile strikes Funerals held in Iran for wedding party victims of US missile strikes Recommended for you
'Am I out?' Drought and rising costs from Iran war deepen pain for US farmers Even before the war, farmers were struggling with a resurgent drought, high input costs, and fallout from Trump's trade policies, which hobble…
Pope Leo urges world to 'slow down' on AI in fervent first manifesto He also apologized for the church's role in slavery, and repudiated a doctrine used since the fifth century to justify some wars.
How a deep-ocean desalination startup hopes to rewrite California’s water future Desalination plants are notoriously large electricity users. The company OceanWell estimates its technology will cut that electricity use by u…
A powerful El Niño is set to reshape global weather in 2026 Previous El Niños fueled wildfires, caused extreme flooding and mega droughts, prompted widespread coral bleaching and disrupted marine life m…
Study: Bird populations are shrinking faster in ag hotspots — including Midwest The loss of bird populations has been documented since the 1970s.Â
Wildfires killed nearly 20% of the world’s giant sequoias. How crews are racing to save the rest Five years ago, a tragic environmental story unfolded when thousands of giant sequoia trees, an iconic California species that can live for 3,…
