original_query: What events occurred on the Snake River Plain that were considered dry and hot?
query: What dry and hot events occurred on the Snake River Plain?
answer: Several periods of drought and heat are noted in the Holocene epoch, including a peak in shadscale steppe conditions between 10 and 8 Kya, a peak aridity correlating with the Mt. Mazama eruption around 7,700 years ago, and multiple severe drought episodes evidenced by sediment cores and bison remains.  Specific dry periods are indicated around 900 years ago, 2-3 Kya, 4-5 Kya, and 7-8 Kya.