Climatologist: South Dakota Weather Changing More Rapidly
MITCHELL - A state climatologist says that South Dakota's weather has become more volatile and could make flooding and drainage issues more difficult to manage in the future.
Climatologist Dennis Todey said Monday that South Dakota's precipitation has been trending upward for decades - especially in the few years leading up to last year's drought. Todey tells the Daily Republic in Mitchell that the changes are coming faster now than ever before.
Todey spoke to the 14-member Regional Watershed Advisory Task Force that was created by the Legislature last year to study water and drainage issues.
Todey says that while precipitation in South Dakota has been increasing since the 1930s, the period between 2007 and 2011 was especially wet. That has led to more soil loss and water runoff.
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