While March did not exactly come bouncing in like the cute little lamb we expected, the cold weather snap we're currently in appears to be coming to a close. Spring in the Omaha area officially began yesterday, Wednesday, at 8:02 a.m. Although central parts of the state saw some snow today, a warming trend is expected.
According to Live Science, above-average temperatures are expected for the US for the next few months. In a report by Douglas Main summarizing statements made at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Thursday morning briefing concerning this year's spring season, Main quoted National Weather Service (NWS) deputy director Laura Furgione as saying that drought is also expected to result from the warmer temperatures. This, perhaps, is the bad news. According to the article, 51 percent of the US is already facing some sort of drought condition. This is expected "to continue or worsen" in large areas of the plains, as well as the southwestern states. Even worse, perhaps, is the likelihood that such dry conditions may create fire hazards such as those that have occurred in Oklahoma and Florida.
Yet other areas may be looking at flooding as the snow continues to melt this far into the year. The Red River in North Dakota is expected to see the most severe problems, followed by portions of the Mississippi River valley, according to the article. Much of the expected weather is attributed to the current El Niño/La Niña cycle.
According to AccuWeather, Omaha can expect to see about one more chilly week, with temperatures in the upper 30s and lower 40s until about March 28. After about two days of fifty-degree weather, the April 1st forecast shows it is expected to reach the 60 degree mark in the Omaha area, with temperatures in mid-April climbing up to nearly 70 degrees.
Sources:
http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/21/17403599-expect-a-warmer-tha...
http://www.accuweather.com
Comments