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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) Rainstorms grew more erratic and droughts much longer across most of the U.S. West over the past half-century as climate change warmed the planet, according to a sweeping government study released Tuesday that concludes the situation is worsening. The most dramatic changes were recorded in the desert Southwest, where the average dry period between rainstorms grew from about 30 days in the 1970s to 45 days between storms now, said Joel Biederman, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Southwest Watershed Research Center in Tucson, Arizona. The consequences of the intense dry periods that pummeled areas of the West in recent years were severe more intense and dangerous wildfires, parched croplands and not enough vegetation to support livestock and wildlife. And the problem appears to be accelerating, with rainstorms becoming increasingly unpredictable, and more areas showing longer intervals between storms since the turn of the century

United statesUniversity of arizonaRocky mountainsChristopher fieldFangyue zhangJoel biedermanWilliam andereggDaniel swainGeophysical research lettersAtmospheric administrationNational oceanicUniversity of utahStanford woods institute for the environmentAgriculture southwest watershed research centerGeophysical researchColorado plateau