Drought will persist or intensify during winter in Washington state, Oregon and the northern two-thirds of California as well as the wheat-growing southern Plains, forecasts the National Weather Service. Above-normal precipitation is expected in the southern half of California, says the Seasonal Drought Outlook, “but it must be emphasized that improvement is not elimination, and that most of the state will still be in drought” through April 30.
“Spring runoff conditions are not looking promising” for northern California and southern Oregon, says the weather service, and below-normal precipitation is forecast for Washington state, “hence (drought) persistence in northern California and the Northwest.”
The Outlook said “drought is expected to persist in the southern third of the Great Plains.” The drought area covers parts of three states, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, that are leaders in winter wheat. Drought is forecast to persist in the southwestern one-third of Kansas, the western half of Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle and a swath running southward from the Oklahoma border through the middle of the state.
The weekly Drought Monitor said December storms improved conditions in west-central California. Dry weather in January has worsened drought conditions in part of the Sacramento Valley, putting several counties back into “exceptional” drought, the most dire rating.