Minnesota outlooks indicate moisture, but drought isn't over yet

Although much of Minnesota is still in severe to extreme drought, University of Minnesota Extension climatologist Mark Seeley says the outlook shows a different story for late winter all the way into planting season.

The outlooks from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other climate organizations foresee the jet stream bringing frequent weather disturbances through spring. This is likely to result in increased precipitation for Minnesota through May.

While the forecasted precipitation will be good news for landscape contractors and maintenance professionals, the storms expected for the remaining weeks of winter are expected to produce strong winds and freezing rain mixed with snow.

Current low soil temperatures and deeper frost depths (20-30 inches) prevent late winter and early spring precipitation from recharging soil moisture levels. This can also contribute to injury of landscape plants. "More snow would be a welcome stabilizer for soil temperatures, which have dropped to single digits in recent weeks," said Seeley. climate.umn.edu.