KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- As you know, we’ve had a warmer and dryer than normal winter, so for Tuesday’s “Facebook Story of the Day” you wanted to know what are the predictions for the upcoming summer?
There may be no relief in sight for parts of the U.S. already experiencing drought. A University of Missouri Expert predicts another hot and dry summer for the Midwest.
Experts say our current weather pattern in the Midwest is similar to a La Nina period during the 1950’s that led to hot and dry weather conditions.
“Generally when we talk about the area of the country impacted during the summer, we're talking about the Midwest, from about Texas up to Nebraska and from Kansas on over to Illinois, and these areas can expect warm dry weather and that's going to be bad for agriculture,” said Tony Lupo an Atmospheric Science Professor at University of Missouri in Columbia.
In Missouri, experts anticipate the driest, warmest conditions in the southwest part of the state which is bad news for our crops.
“With the subsoil being dry, there's no moisture for the crops to start with and the winter time here has not helped,” said Lupo. “We haven't had much rain at all and we certainly haven't had much snow. That does not help the yearly season.”
Experts say dry conditions early in the summer make heat worse throughout the rest of the season.
If La Nina quickly fades, weather conditions could improve but experts believe that won't happen.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKTVO