Drought conditions expected to continue through spring

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of Texas are experiencing severe or extreme drought, especially in the Panhandle region and parts of West Texas.

“Compared to my farm’s rainfall totals last year, I am minus 8 inches for the year,” said Jeremy Brown, producer in Dawson County. “That’s how dry it is right now.”

While West Texas weather is unpredictable at times, meteorologists are confident these dry conditions will extend deep into the spring. Jody James, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS) in Lubbock attributes much of the drought conditions to La Niña.

“We had a break from (La Niña) last summer for a couple of months,” he told the Lubbock Avalanche Journal. “But we look at the three-month moving averages, and 15 of the last 17 sessions have been in La Niña.”

Current drought conditions posed a fire risk for more of the Texas Panhandle on Monday and Tuesday of this week, which is likely to continue most of 2022.