La Niña and Increasing Drought Conditions

Extreme drought condition across the southern plains is expected to continue, all courtesy of this year’s La Niña pattern. During a La Niña winter we generally will see a tendency for dry conditions across the southern U.S. Many locations where the extreme drought has set up in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas have not seen measurable rain in over 100 days.  The entire state of Oklahoma is now experiencing some level of drought conditions.  Signs that the La Niña conditions may intensify, could cause dry and warmer weather increasing drought conditions well into the spring. Below average lake and reservoir level could greatly reduce irrigation assets during and after fields are planted this spring. Tinder dry fuels on the ground, low humidity and gusty winds prompted red flag warnings for some drought stricken locations. The long range precipitation outlook from the Climate Prediction Center indicates  drier-than-normal conditions in the months ahead for the southern tier of the United States. February - April Precipitation Outlook Meteorologist Mike Morrison