NOAA Spring 2013 Outlook Predicts Drought Conditions to Persist or Worsen for Texas

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released their spring 2013 outlook for the United States, and relief from drought for some areas does not seem likely.

Their outlook predicts that the drought will persist or even intensify in most of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and part of California.

NOAA predicts that “Many of these drought-stricken areas are also favored to experience above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation this spring, including the south-central and southwestern United States."

Texas continues to recover from the 2011 drought, which cost the state approximately $8.3 billion in agricultural losses. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 88 percent of Texas is experiencing some degree of drought conditions.

Drought conditions are expected to improve in areas of the Southeast, western Great Lakes, and the northern Great Plains.

The NOAA’s spring 2013 outlook is available here.