“Scientists reveal drivers of prolonged spring-summer drought over North China” (Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-05/ioap-srd050718.php “…Their study shows that seven of the selected eight North China PSSD [prolonged spring-summer drought] events occurred when La Niña transited to El Niño with a negative North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) phase in preceding winter. The two key circulation anomalies in spring are set directly by a negative NPO phase generated in the preceding winter. The NPO, in turn, forces an El Niño onset in summer through the so-called “seasonal footprinting mechanism”. Consequently, sea surface temperature anomalies of El Niño in summer suppress Indian monsoon rainfall, triggering the tropospheric temperature cooling over East Asia through a circumglobal teleconnection along the East Asia upper-level westerly jet. This study demonstrates that ENSO phase transition from La Niña to El Niño is one of the important precursors of North China PSSD.”
“ENSO-neutral is favored through September-November 2018, with the possibility of El Niño nearing 50% by Northern Hemisphere winter 2018-19”. [El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion issued by the Climate Prediction Center/National Centers for Environmental Prediction/NOAA/National Weather Service and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society 10 May 2018] http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml
Eideard 
https://www.drought.gov/drought/rcc/west
“Scientists reveal drivers of prolonged spring-summer drought over North China” (Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-05/ioap-srd050718.php “…Their study shows that seven of the selected eight North China PSSD [prolonged spring-summer drought] events occurred when La Niña transited to El Niño with a negative North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) phase in preceding winter. The two key circulation anomalies in spring are set directly by a negative NPO phase generated in the preceding winter. The NPO, in turn, forces an El Niño onset in summer through the so-called “seasonal footprinting mechanism”. Consequently, sea surface temperature anomalies of El Niño in summer suppress Indian monsoon rainfall, triggering the tropospheric temperature cooling over East Asia through a circumglobal teleconnection along the East Asia upper-level westerly jet. This study demonstrates that ENSO phase transition from La Niña to El Niño is one of the important precursors of North China PSSD.”
“ENSO-neutral is favored through September-November 2018, with the possibility of El Niño nearing 50% by Northern Hemisphere winter 2018-19”. [El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion issued by the Climate Prediction Center/National Centers for Environmental Prediction/NOAA/National Weather Service and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society 10 May 2018] http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml
“Dismal Western Snowpack Is a Climate “Warning Sign” : The potential for drought and large wildfires looms over the summer” (Scientific American 5/14/18) https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dismal-western-snowpack-is-a-climate-warning-sign/
“In the Arctic, the Old Ice Is Disappearing” (NYT 5/14/18) https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/14/climate/arctic-sea-ice.html “In the Arctic Ocean, some ice stays frozen year-round, lasting for many years before melting. But this winter, the region hit a record low for ice older than five years.This, along with a near-record low for sea ice over all, supports predictions that by midcentury there will be no more ice in the Arctic Ocean in summer.”
A new study from NASA reinforces the idea that droughts are getting worse and could become more frequent in the Western U.S. as a result of climate change. Droughts aren’t just about precipitation, says NASA scientist and the study’s co-author Benjamin Cook. They’re also about the timing of snowmelt and the wetness of soil, both of which are upended by a warming climate. http://www.kunc.org/post/climate-change-making-droughts-worse-western-us See also “Climate Change and Drought: From Past to Future” https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s40641-018-0093-2?author_access_token=T1hdYfHGCFbt9ixLNLXzrPe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY7RpRxd_ESwnYfHsVVpnYJ7tBUkUMF8GxzdMENKcFeDyn_cGiqu3A2_SlLGNX7o_2iI1b5DmXeW3uPLfHt9CAbRpjVOpeS_SxHCUZeJ4-nykg==
“Experts: “Alarming” drought conditions hit U.S. Southwest : Warmer-than-average temperatures haven’t helped as the soil dries out and water demand increases.” https://www.denverpost.com/2018/05/23/colorado-southwest-drought/
“On Sunday, New Mexico entered into Article VII restrictions as storage in Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs dropped below 400,000 acre-feet. Under Article VII of the Rio Grande Compact, that means Colorado and New Mexico can’t store water in any upstream reservoirs built after 1929.” http://nmpoliticalreport.com/839751/new-mexico-back-under-water-storage-restrictions-on-the-rio-grande-en/?mc_cid=f1f15ba4d0&mc_eid=4b85ca587f