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Meteorologist predicts rain for parts of drought-stricken US later this spring

Drought relief could be on the horizon for some parts of the country.

CattleFax meteorologist Matt Makens says more precipitation is likely once the US transitions from La Niña to El Niño later this spring.

However, he says the transition won’t happen overnight. “As we go progressively go through spring and summer, we’re going to see those wet areas like the Ohio and Tennessee Valley’s, the wetness will to start to spread westward. It will be gradual, but we will have more neutral to average conditions in the summer even in parts of the drought-ridden plains.”

Makens tells Brownfield that will likely result in much better growing conditions. “The optimism is once we get the growing season started, it will be on the slow note, but we’re going to increase the moisture for mid crop cycles and late crop cycles. That’s going to help us where as the last several years the moisture was so infrequent it came down to timing.”

Makens spoke with Brownfield at the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention in New Orleans.