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U.S. drought likely to ease says meteorologist

The senior ag meteorologist with DTN expects U.S. drought conditions to ease into the new year in most places.

Bryce Anderson tells Brownfield one of those areas is the southeast which had flash drought conditions in the fall, “But over the next three months or so, it’s looking very promising for – especially – the northern part of the Southeast from the Ohio Valley through the Tennessee Valley to maybe even have drought come to an end.”

Anderson says that will help southeastern farmers ahead of their planting season next year.

He says California is poised for some drought relief as well — The Sierra Nevada Mountains are getting some snowfall, “And the way the storm tracks are acting, this part of the country is going to get continued snows here through kind of the height of the snowfall season in the west. December, January into February and so that promises to show some improvement.”

Anderson says it’s still going to be dry out west but mainly in southern California through the desert Southwest.

The Sierras are a big provider of irrigation water for growers in California’s Central Valley – the heart of that state’s ag production.

Anderson says the La Nina system looks to be ending or has already ended which he expects to contribute to the drought relief.