Drought persists in Texas High Plains and larger U.S. Great Plains
Nearly a year and a half after settling in to Texas, drought conditions persist across the High Plains and larger U.S. Great Plains into the new year as La Niña patterns linger.
La Niña — a term experts use to describe a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean — shifts rainfall and cooler temperatures toward the Northern U.S., bringing drier and warmer conditions to the South.
Consequently, a large portion of Texas continues to face drought after its initial arrival in September 2021, and forecasters anticipate similar patterns to continue in coming months.
The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center's long-term forecast favors warmer-than-normal temperatures and near-normal precipitation through February. Historically, late fall through early winter is the driest duration for the West Texas region.
"We don't get a whole lot (of precipitation) for this time of year, so near-normal and warmer-than-normal favors, at least, where we stand now with drought," said NWS Lubbock forecaster Robert Barritt, "If not, maybe going a category deeper into it."
However, a recent statement issued from the office forecasts conditions to gradually weaken going into spring with a 71% of La Niña neutralizing by the end of April.
The U.S. Drought Monitor currently shows the majority Texas sitting west of I-35 continues to face drought. Of five levels of intensity on the map's scale, the High Plains and Rolling Plains is primarily under "severe drought" — the middle level — with some spots of more severe levels.
Lubbock recorded 15.06 inches of precipitation in 2022 — about 3 inches below average of 18.33 inches — while Amarillo received about 16.43 inches — an increase of 1.40 inches from 2021 but still more than 3 inches below normal, according to data from the local National Weather Service offices.
Several counties throughout the area continue to enforce outdoor burn bans and water restriction to lessen impacts on long-term water supplies.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Drought persists in Texas High Plains and larger U.S. Great Plains
