US Drought Outlook

Following a mild winter and low rainfall in many areas of the country, drought conditions will make it even more difficult for landscape contractors to keep their clients?EUR??,,????'??? landscapes healthy. While some areas will see some relief from drought conditions, others will not. According to weather predictors, drought conditions are increasing from the U.S. Great Plains into the Ohio and Tennessee valleys.

Scattered relief may come from cold-front passages or thunderstorm clusters, but summers are usually a fairly dry time of year for the central part of the nation, the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center said recently.

Northern states such as North Dakota, Minnesota and upper Michigan are likely to benefit from the frontal passages due to their position close to the polar jet stream.

In the Southeast, coastal portions of Georgia and South Carolina will likely see some improvement in drought conditions due to the greater likelihood of a tropical cyclone, meteorologists report.

Arizona and New Mexico will also likely see some improvement as the seasonal monsoon begin.