That's one effect. But in the western US, this effect turns out not to be the driver for hydrology. We've seen higher temperatures (causing more evapotranspira

That's one effect. But in the western US, this effect turns out not to be the driver for hydrology. We've seen higher temperatures (causing more evapotranspiration), more highly-variable rainfall (thus, more precipitation lost to runoff), and less possibility for snow accumulation (again, causing lost precipitation due to faster runoff). I'm not sure where you live, but the higher temperatures and especially the lack of snow accumulation have been noticeable even to casual observers in the area. For more, see TFA, or the excellent National Climate Assessment. Chapter 25 covers the Southwest, and drought is the first topic. It has references to the literature if you're interested. https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/25/ https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/25/ Just one quick excerpt: > Increased temperatures, especially the earlier occurrence of spring warmth, have significantly altered the water cycle in the Southwest region. These changes include decreases in snowpack and its water content, earlier peak of snow-fed streamflow, and increases in the proportion of rain to snow. These changes, attributed mainly to climate change, exacerbate hydrological drought.