If that doesn’t change in the coming weeks, weather experts say it could further increase the severity of drought – which could have a significant impact for ranchers and farmers raising livestock and growing crops.
The recent drought conditions are “not particularly good news,” said Matthew Sittel, the assistant state climatologist at Kansas State University.
“We definitely have seen some increases here in just the last two weeks,” he said. “So it's concerning, obviously, that we've got the conditions that we do now.”
About half of the North Central U.S. region (which includes 20 states ranging from the Rockies to the Great Lakes) is experiencing moderate drought conditions or worse as of this month. That’s an increase of 18% compared to a year ago, according to a recent briefing from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its regional climate partners.
The persisting drought is likely due to a colder-than-normal winter with less rain and snow, as well as recent warm, dry and windy weather in the region, weather researchers said. Among the states that saw below-normal snowfall were Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and some parts of Iowa.
Although there is a potential for conditions to improve, Sittel and his colleagues expect drought to stick around along the Missouri River Basin, particularly in Nebraska and the Dakotas.
“We'll have to wait and see how this all plays out,” he said. “Because it's certainly possible that we get a heavy rain event in some part of this country that could improve conditions locally.”
Impact of ongoing drought
For the Nebraska panhandle, the last 12 months have already been “pretty rough,” said Eric Hunt, the assistant extension educator of agricultural meteorology at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. About 75% of the state is currently experiencing drought conditions, ranging from moderate to extreme drought, according to the latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“If the next two months aren’t good with moisture in parts of the panhandle, parts of Sandhills, this year is going to be very challenging, particularly for ranchers,” Hunt said.
Some Nebraska farmers, such as corn and sugar beet producers, can use irrigation to protect from drought conditions, but Hunt said that livestock producers could face challenges. Cool season grasses rely on spring moisture. As a result, he said, producers without access to irrigated fields or meadows with wetlands could see thin grazing lands, which would impact cattle herds.
“They are going to be facing an even more challenging year than they need if the moisture doesn't come,” Hunt said.
In Kansas, moderate and severe drought conditions are currently impacting more than half the state.
Greg Doering is a spokesperson for the Kansas Farm Bureau, which represents more than 30,000 people across the state. He said that many ranchers and farmers are concerned that drought will have a negative impact on their operations this year.
“‘Rain makes grain’ is the saying,” Doering said. “And we're going to need some rain here in the coming days, coming weeks, as we move into planting season.”
Last year, the agriculture industry and related sectors supported 13% of Kansas’ entire workforce, as well as an estimated $88.1 billion in output, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s economist report.
“If our farmers and ranchers are experiencing drought conditions, that will have an impact on the farm income that they're able to bring in and, ultimately, have a potential loss to their operation,” said Kelsey Olson, the deputy secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture.