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Abrupt, wild weather transitions becoming more common

A climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center says abrupt, wild weather transitions are becoming more of the norm.

Brian Fuchs tells Brownfield it’s been a variable early fall with drought conditions expanding across the Corn Belt and Delta following a wetter growing season.

“It seems like the way our precipitation patterns have been shifting has been more of these feast or famine type of events where we go weeks or a couple of months where conditions have been quite wet or dry and then, we abruptly go to the flipside of that.”

He says some of these changes are likely to continue.

“And looking at drought and agriculture, it makes some of the decision-making and mitigation ideas become a bit harder.”

Fuchs says recent rains across portions of the Corn Belt should help provide some much-needed moisture that will benefit the next growing season.

“Even with some heavier rains, the soils will likely suck in the moisture. There may be a little delay in places that get the heaviest rains, as far as harvest goes, but I think, honestly, this time of year, we’re looking at soil moisture recharge talking about the next production year.”

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor says 77% of the Midwest, 68% of the Great Plains and 62% of the South are experiencing dry conditions. A new drought monitor map will be published on Thursday.