Prolonged, Persistent Drought Predicted in These States

Prolonged, Persistent Drought Predicted in These States

(ConservativeInsider.org) – According to the US Drought Monitor, around 62% of the United States is currently experiencing “abnormally dry” conditions. This means people from all walks are trying to conserve water, including farmers. Now, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) believe a “prolonged, persistent drought” will continue for a second year.

On Thursday, March 17, NOAA released its Spring Outlook, which predicted below-average precipitation for the majority of the US this spring. Forecasters believe that from April to June, every state from the Desert Southwest, including California, Arizona, and New Mexico, to Montana in the North, all the way out to the Midwest, will experience dry conditions.

NOAA’s Twitter Feed shared a map of the predicted drought:

Some farmers in the Southwest have already had to cut back on irrigation, choosing to only water enough to keep their fruit trees alive, but not enough to produce a crop this year. This drought may also cause a more severe fire season out West as water reserves continue to shrink.

While the US has experienced dry periods like this before, it will decrease crop output and likely raise food prices across the entire nation. The forecasters hope the rain will return mid-summer, but it’s impossible to truly know what will happen.

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