The state’s climate experts are out with the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s drought forecast in coming weeks and it looks to be dry says the state’s extension climate field specialist. Dr. Dennis Todey says between the dryness last fall and lack of snow this winter that it’s dry in South Dakota. He says the outlook for the next six weeks doesn’t look promising either…
What happened to change the weather pattern to dry mode? Dr. Todey says there are multiple things going on and the weather experts have been scratching their heads about it…
He said it’s way early to be talking about a mega-drought setting in. Todey says that is more directed towards the Southwestern areas of the country where those kinds of conditions have occurred previously. Those conditions, he says, are not related to the current drought that could be setting up in the northern plains The weather expert says he’s not terribly concerned at the present time because there are some positives happening…
Todey encourages people to enjoy the nice weather and that dry conditions are nothing new for this area of the nation. He says that, although the state is on a higher level of alert, now is not the time to hit the moisture panic button…
The current forecast for the next 8 -14 days shows dry conditions are likely through the end of March into early April, while temps move from cooler than average to near average.