Brian Fuchs, NDMC climatologist, did an interview Dec. 7 with KRVN's Mike LePorte, farm director, about current drought in Texas and other parts of the United States.
The good news was that newly emerging drought in northern regions this fall has come at the end of the growing season. "When you start talking about agricultural impacts with drought, timing of precipitation can mean everything," Fuchs said.
The current drought in Texas is on track to replace the 1950s as the new drought of record for that state if conditions fail to improve. Fuchs noted that in the '50s, the drought affected a smaller area, but went on for a few years. In contrast, spatially, this year, "The entire state of Texas is being impacted, and it doesn't stop at the borders," he said. The outlook is also cause for concern, with the emerging La Niña pattern increasing the chances that drought will continue next year.
Listen to the full interview here.