According to Harris-Mann Climatology – the summer doesn’t look promising for much of the Corn Belt. Long-term Climatologist and Forecaster Cliff Harris expects the drought in the Southwest to move and expand eastward over the central and southern Great Plans – as well as at least the western Midwest – by late June or July. Those flooded areas near the Missouri River – they will likely be impacted by extreme dryness later this summer season. Harris-Mann Climatology is predicting this current drought patter could be the costliest U.S. natural disaster of 2012 and 2013 – even more costly than Hurricane Sandy – with damage estimates possibly near 200-billion dollars.
The outlook from Harris-Mann Climatology is the first to show the drought growing to the east. The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook from the National Weather Service – which was updated mid-May – showed drought improving or leaving much of the Central Plains and areas east of the Mississippi River. They did see a dry, hot summer – but the target for the driest and hottest forecast of the summer was the Southwest.
Source: NAFB News service