Winter Season Gives Small Relief to Texas Drought

In the middle of November, federal weather forecasters released their annual predictions for winter weather throughout the united states. This prediction gives Little relief to the drought stricken state of Texas who set a record for the state's driest 12 consecutive months in September.

The predicted weather for this winter seems to be much of the same as we've seen in recent years. Mounds of snow, great for the ski resorts in the Rocky's but continuing dry conditions for the south. This weather pattern is being drawn out by La Nina storm patterns in the pacific ocean, which is basically a giant pool of unusually colder-than-normal water in the equatorial Pacific that consequently extends weather patterns across The U.S.

For Texas, a dry winter after an almost year long drought could make for an even more disastrous spring. The winter usually brings recharge to the land in the southwest united states because landscaping and agriculture is at a minimum and the soil is allowed to take up moisture as the reservoir levels rise once more. A dry winter will lead to another season of failed crops, and plummeting economic conditions.

Below: A map released by the NOAA, showing that the Texas drought was expected to continue.



http://www.climatecentral.org/news/partner-news/winter-forecast-offers-little-hope-for-texas-drought-relief