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Spring showers help ease Midwest moisture deficit

An ag meteorologist says recent moisture is welcome after a dry winter across much of the Midwest.

Don Keeney is with Vaisala Xweather.

“Specifically the Central and Southern Plains, Midwest and Delta. We had very little precipitation in those areas over the winter, and as such very little snowpack. Especially across the Central and Northern Plains, as well as the Upper Midwest.”

He tells Brownfield many regions started spring with a moisture deficit.

“With that said, the rainfall is really ramping up in the Midwest. So we’ve trended a good bit better over the past several weeks, so we’re seeing conditions improve there. We haven’t seen conditions improve in the Central and Western Plains, however.”

Keeney says excessive dryness is expected to continue in the Plains as the storm pattern stays to the east.