By Scout Nelson
University of Nebraska–Lincoln specialists recently hosted drought workshops in North Platte and Scottsbluff to help producers prepare for dry weather conditions across western Nebraska. The meetings were organized after an unusually warm and dry winter raised drought concerns ahead of the growing season.
Emily Case-Buskirk, National Drought Mitigation Center, highlighted that the workshop team included experts from the Nebraska State Climate Office, Nebraska Extension, and the National Drought Mitigation Center. Presenters shared information about drought conditions, climate outlooks, wildfire risks, and management tools designed to help farmers and ranchers make better decisions during dry periods.
Deb Bathke, Nebraska state climatologist, explained that the workshops focused on helping producers understand how winter and spring weather conditions worsened drought across Nebraska.
“We wanted to help people understand the drought conditions that developed in Nebraska over the winter and spring and what they can do to prepare for the summer,” Bathke said.
Bathke explained that dry weather, strong winds, warm temperatures, and extremely dry soils contributed to a flash drought during spring. Eric Hunt, extension educator of agricultural meteorology and climate resilience, discussed current drought conditions and future climate outlooks for Nebraska.
The May 7 U.S. Drought Monitor showed that 88.15% of Nebraska was experiencing drought conditions. Central and western Nebraska faced the most severe conditions, with parts of the southern Panhandle entering exceptional drought near the end of April.
Dry conditions also contributed to major wildfires across the state. The Morrill Fire became the largest wildfire in Nebraska history, burning more than 640,000 acres. Nebraska recorded about 900,000 burned acres this year, which doubled the previous state record from 2012.
Workshop presenters also introduced drought monitoring and decision-making resources for producers. Tools such as Grass-Cast can help ranchers estimate forage production, while other planning systems support drought management decisions and local weather reporting.
The workshops included discussions between producers and agricultural experts about drought recovery, grazing management, wildfire impacts, and rainfall needs. Organizers said these meetings helped producers better understand climate risks while learning practical ways to prepare for continued dry conditions.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-neenawat
Categories: Nebraska, Weather