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Drought has weakened some of Nevada's trees, making them more vulnerable to bark beetles. Hundreds of Jeffrey Pines in the Galena area have succumbed to the beetles. A 40-acres stand of beetle-infested trees in the Galena part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will be removed in coming weeks. Reno Gazette Journal (Nev.), Dec 27, 2021

Warm weather and strong winds drove a Montana wildfire through a small town of Denton, consuming 24 homes and four century-old grain elevators. Twenty square miles of drought-stricken prairie and agricultural land burned also. Associated Press News (New York), Dec 2, 2021

Warm temperatures through late fall into winter, coupled with dry weather, has increased the fire danger in South Carolina. The public was warned to be particularly careful if they burn materials outdoors over the weekend. Above normal wildfire potential was present in the coastal areas of Georgia and North Carolina, too, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Associated Press News (New York), Dec 3, 2021

Recent dry weather contributed to the spread of two brush fires the New River Gorge National Park and Page, W.V. WVNS-TV Channel 59 Bluefield (Ghent, W.V.), Dec 3, 2021

An open burn ban was if effect for Charlotte County from Dec. 14 through Jan. 14, 2022. WSLS-TV NBC Channel 10 (Roanoke, Va.), Dec 3, 2021

A May frost and drought persisting through the growing season and into the winter slashed hay production in Montana’s Gallatin Valley. Supplies for baling hay, fertilizer and heavy machinery, too, were subject to shortages. Snow is lacking also when it ought to be waist-high, so some moisture ahead of the next growing season would be helpful. KBZK-TV Bozeman 7 (Mont.), Dec 1, 2021

Persistent drought through the 2021 growing season affected the range, causing concern for Bureau of Land Management Miles City Field Office range managers. Public lands in their area are in severe to exceptional drought, after receiving just 40% to 60% of the normal precipitation for 2021. The Ekalaka Eagle (Mont.), Dec 1, 2021

Hay is in short supply, due to drought in the region, and feed prices were triple the normal price. Cache Valley Daily (Logan, Utah), Dec 2, 2021

The Piikani Lodge Health Institute was constructing snow fences on Blackfeet Nation land to catch the snow, which will melt in the spring and provide some drought relief. Cut Bank Pioneer Press (Mont.), Nov 24, 2021

Calleguas Municipal Water District, one of the largest water suppliers on the South Coast, is urging its more than 660,000 customers to limit water use by 15% compared to 2020 in Ventura County. KCLU (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Nov 19, 2021

The Yellowstone Ski Festival was canceled for lack of snow for the first time in the event’s 30-year history. It is typically held the week of Thanksgiving. KUFM-FM Montana Public Radio (Missoula, Mont.), Nov 23, 2021

The Sugar Bowl Resort at Lake Tahoe planned to open on Friday, Nov. 26, but the lack of snow meant that they would postpone for a while. The Heavenly and Northstar resorts announced previously that they would have to delay their openings. KCRA-TV NBC 3 Sacramento (Calif.), Nov 23, 2021

A couple of the driest years on record, poor habitat conditions and significantly limited bird production have made for a lousy quail and chukar partridge hunting season in Nevada and Utah. Bird numbers were lower in Arizona, too. Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nev.), Nov 24, 2021

Drought in the U.S. has increased prices for a number of food items as low water supplies cut into production. Wheat, coffee, meat, nuts, avocados and sushi rice will cost more at the grocery store. Eat This, Not That! (New York), Nov 24, 2021

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife began releasing juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon into the Klamath River because river conditions have cooled and flows have increased, offering the young salmon a better chance at surviving and reaching the Pacific Ocean. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Sacramento, Calif.), Nov 19, 2021

The temporary burn ban in Potter County was extended for 90 days by the Commissioners’ Court, due to ongoing dry conditions and persistent strong winds. The burn ban will remain in effect until Feb. 20, 2022. Amarillo Globe-News (Texas), Nov 22, 2021

Distilleries use a lot of water for fermentation, proofing, and cooling, but some beverage makers are striving to conserve water. On average, it takes about 37 liters of water to make one liter of spirit, versus 3.5 liters to make a liter of beer, or 4 liters of water to make a liter of wine. SevenFiftyDaily (New York), Nov 22, 2021

Feedlot placements in October were 2.245 million head, 102.4 percent of last year. Marketings in October were 1.788 million head, 95.5 percent of one year ago. There was one less business day in October 2021 compared to last year, so average daily marketings were equal to last year. The November 1 on-feed total was 11.948 million head, 99.8 percent of last year. This fall the year over year increases have been smaller, up 6.5 percent in the last eight weeks of data, indicating that some of the normal fall culling likely occurred earlier in the year due to drought. Beef Magazine (St. Charles, Ill.), Nov 22, 2021

Crop yields varied greatly even within fields in Isanti County after a season of severe drought, where the combine yield monitor might read 200 bushels per acre and then suddenly say zero. For some yields were good, while for others, corn and soybean yields were down 50% to 60% and hay yields down 30% to 40%. Isanti-Chisago County Star (Cambridge, Minn.), Nov 18, 2021

Intense drought this summer made cultivating crops a tremendous challenge. A Beaver County rancher and farmer switched from growing alfalfa to grass in recent years to conserve water, but was only able to produce a quarter of the grass as usual. He took advantage of Utah’s Water Optimization Program to replace the cement in an irrigation ditch so it leaked less. KUER-FM 90.1 (Salt Lake City, Utah), Nov 12, 2021