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For Drought-Stricken Nation’s Midsection, ‘Improvement Seems Unlikely’ Through May
Late August 2012. Instead of relishing the prospect of some colorful fall boating and fishing up at my family’s place in Wisconsin, I was taking our pontoon boat out of the lake and putting it into storage for the winter.
The water level had gone down so much there was only about a foot or so left between the outboard engine propeller and the lake bottom. We didn’t want to risk the boat getting stuck- so out she went!
I’d never seen the level of the lake that low. And I’ve been boating and fishing on that particular body of water since summer 1984.
I have to think it was the result of scorching hot weather in the area last summer and the ongoing U.S. drought. Since I still have concerns about the upcoming boating season, I’ve been paying careful attention not only to precipitation reports in southeast Wisconsin this winter, but also drought forecasts. In fact, the latest “U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook” was just released yesterday, and here’s what the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center had to say about the area:
Off to the East, there are enhanced chances for above-normal spring precipitation from the Mississippi Valley eastward into the Great Lakes region, and moderate precipitation is forecast for the remainder of February into early March. Thus, drought conditions are expected to improve.
Very cool, as I’m not looking forward to keeping that boat stored until 2014.
But what about those areas of the country that were really hit bad by the drought last year? Here’s what that February 21 report had to say about what they call the “nation’s midsection:”
These factors weighed heavily on the Drought Outlook for March – May 2013, especially regarding the large area of extreme to exceptional drought in the Nation’s midsection. Precipitation normals increase significantly later in the forecast period, so less consideration was given to short-term forecasts of 0.5 to 1.5 inches of precipitation during the remainder of February. The 3-month outlook favors below-median precipitation across roughly the southwest half of this swath of extreme to exceptional drought; there were equal chances for wetness and dryness in the rest of the area. However, large moisture deficits are deeply entrenched across the region, and with only one month of the wet season included in this forecast period, improvement seems unlikely.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
Some say “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and as such:
Here’s hoping the next report, due out on March 7, contains better news, as not being able to go boating takes a back seat to skyrocketing food prices in my book.
You can read the entire U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook on Climate Prediction Center’s website here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Survival And Prosperity
\”Protecting and Growing Self and Wealth in These Uncertain Times\”
2013-02-22 18:45:54
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