Well, one report this week might indicate some decisions have to be made about where you plant corn, peanuts, cotton, and where water is available or not.
The National Weather Service reports that severe to extreme drought conditions are across the region. Drought conditions remain the worst experience, they said, since 2012. Long-term hydraulic drought impacts persist with also the significant impacts to rivers and streams.
They’re all down. Lakes and ponds are exceptionally low levels or dry in some cases. But farmers need to be aware.
Pam Knox, the Georgia climatologist with the Extension Service, she said this week that she believes we’re moving into a weak La Nina to neutral conditions that means that we are entering a growing season when we are most likely to see continuing drought through at least the first part of the growing season. El Nino, later this year, could mean fewer tropical storms increasing across the region, she said, for drought. If you have any questions about that, you need to check with your local weather service to see what it looks like for you.
But we’re starting off in a dry period according to the National Weather Service.
Audio Reporting by Tyron Spearman for Southeast AgNet.