Rawlins

Unlike many of his colleagues in Hollywood, who came from affluent families and studied in prestigious schools, Garcia was born into a Mexican American family in Rawlins, Wyo., a small mining town with few resources for aspiring actors.

I spoke with Michael Rawlins, the associate director of the Climate System Research Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

First, Rawlins told me, climate change is adding heat to a dry spell.

Second, Rawlins says, climate change may help extend this drought, further increasing the risk of wildfire.

Research by Rawlins’ colleague Jennifer Francis suggests that a quickly warming Arctic may be slowing those waves, causing short-term weather systems to linger.