New Mexico's Northern Landscape Gets A New Burst Of Color

The eastern central plains of New Mexico are doing o.k. too.

(NPR) Much of the American West is suffering from extreme drought this year. California is running out of water and wildfires have raged through Washington, Oregon and Idaho. But there is a bright spot out West — or, rather, a green spot. In New Mexico, unusually heavy late-summer rains have transformed the landscape.
It's a remarkable sight. The high desert is normally the color of baked pie crust; now, it's emerald.
Kirt Kempter, a geologist who lives in Santa Fe, says this transformation is far from ordinary. Continued