HOUSTON – The majority of southeast Texas, including Houston, is now officially back in a moderate to extreme drought. The latest national drought monitor came out Thursday and, like Houston, over half of the continental U.S. is experiencing some degree of drought.
The most severely affected areas include the Midwest, the Rocky Mountain region and Texas.
The Climate Prediction Center released an updated temperature and precipitation outlook for the spring season on Thursday and it doesn't look pretty for Texas and most other drought-stricken regions. Hot and dry conditions will likely persist.
Only the Great Lakes, Upper Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley regions of the U.S. are likely to see wetter than normal weather through June. These areas are, largely, not seeing a drought right now.
In Houston, a dry spring would continue the trend of warm, dry weather that we've experienced since September. The drought, as a result, could dramatically worsen as we head into summer.
For farmers, in particular, the outlook is not promising. The drought returns just as the growing season is gearing up. A dry spring could have devastating effects on an already strained industry.
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