The drought isn't over.

[techs]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/13/us-usa-drought-idUSBRE8BC0ZK20121213

Drought expands in many farm states

Drought continued to expand through many key farming states within the central United States in the past week, as scattered rainfall failed to replenish parched soils, according to a report issued Thursday by state and federal climatology experts.

Drought conditions were most pervasive in the Plains states, including in top wheat producer Kansas, according to the Drought Monitor report.

Fully 100 percent of Kansas was in at least "severe" drought as of Tuesday, up from 99.34 percent a week earlier, according to the Drought Monitor, and almost 78 percent remained in at least "extreme drought," the second-worst level of drought.

Conditions in Nebraska were unchanged, with 96.15 percent of the state in extreme drought, while the situation worsened in Oklahoma, where the percentage of the state in at least extreme drought increased to 90.92 percent from 90.56 percent a week earlier.

Texas drought conditions also worsened over the last week, with more than 32 percent of the state in at least extreme drought, up from 27.40 percent a week earlier, and more than 65 percent in at least severe drought, up from 59.27 percent, the Drought Monitor report said.

The portion of the contiguous United States under at least "severe" drought expanded, however, to 42.59 percent from 42.22 percent.



I'm not sure how important winter rains and snow are for the following growing season. However another summer like last year would be, imo, a calamity.

 

[OverVolt]

Someone else will figure it out with science.

 

[Red Storm]

Someone else will figure it out with science.

Said everyone.

 

[sixone]

I'm not sure how important winter rains and snow are for the following growing season. However another summer like last year would be, imo, a calamity.

Very important for winter wheat. We need rain and snow pretty bad.

If there's no straw or grasses because of lack of rain, ranchers can't feed their cows, either. After they sell off all the cattle they can't feed, the price of beef goes up because there are less cattle coming to market.

The price of milk goes up because it becomes more expensive to feed those cattle, too.

 

[biostud]

Aliens


......definitely not humans

 

[rsutoratosu]

beef price would double again.. fffff

 

[TwiceOver]

It's pretty dry around here. We received 6" of snow fall last week, but that is hardly anything when it comes to actual moisture content. Plus the ground is frozen so it is really just runoff.

I haven't seen a drastic change in beef prices here, corn sucked last year though. The rivers here are running low too, which causes a lot of dead fish.

 

[jupiter57]

I've been wearing Muck Boots all week.
I don't want to hear the word drought!

It got dry this summer, but I don't think the ground here has thoroughly dried since Mid-September.

 

[ElFenix]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Desert

 

[techs]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Desert

At some point, when the Ogalalla reservoir dries up, we will have to use one of the Great Lakes to irrigate the plains.

 

[JulesMaximus]

We should all pray for rain. That will work.

 

[Jeff7]

At some point, when the Ogalalla reservoir dries up, we will have to use one of the Great Lakes to irrigate the plains.

Or start a pipeline now, rather than wait until it's an emergency situation.

Damn, nature, you slow.

 

[sixone]

Or start a pipeline now, rather than wait until it's an emergency situation.

Damn, nature, you slow.

And by the time it's done, we'll be flooding again. Nature giveth, nature taketh away.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

We should all pray for rain. That will work.

If it's in Kansas the drought is all part of intelligent design. Therefore we must not pray to change the drought, but to worship the grand plan behind it.

 

[Drako]

I wonder how the OP sleeps at night. :hmm:

 

[techs]

I wonder how the OP sleeps at night. :hmm:

It's a tough job worrying about our nations bacon supply.

 

[fatpat268]

Yep, texas is drying out again. We were recovering from the last drought in 2010/2011, but most of the state hasn't received any sizable amount of rain for the past few months.

 

[Gooberlx2]

I'm not sure how important winter rains and snow are for the following growing season. However another summer like last year would be, imo, a calamity.

Extremely around here, as well as for mitigating the summer fire season. Because of this last summer's fires, the soot runoff is screwing up water treatment. So Larimer County, for example, will be using their reserves for municipal supply, whereas they usually lease it out to area farmers.

We're at something like 25% of average snowfall by this time of the season. If things don't pick up, it's gonna be hell on Earth next summer.

 

[OverVolt]

We should all pray for rain. That will work.

Yea unsustainable draining of the aquifer is much better. That'll put us in a real good spot in 50 years.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

At some point, when the Ogalalla reservoir dries up, we will have to use one of the Great Lakes to irrigate the plains.

Next civil war will be over control of the Great Lakes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes_Compact

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/04/ohio_house_committee_passes_la.html

 

[slayernine]

My sympathies for the US farmers dealing with this drought but farmers in Western Canada love it. For the first time in a long time they are making a reasonable profit. Plus our government deregulated wheat sales this year so the free market could work.