This morning the National Weather Service issued their new 90-day seasonal outlook for the U.S. covering September through November. The temperature forecast shows nearly all the continental U.S. leaning towards a hotter than average fall season, with the areas most likely to see warmer than average temperatures being the Southwest and Northeast regions. The precipitation outlook indicated the southern plains, mid-south, and southwestern U.S. are likely to receive below average rainfall over the period. Florida and small portions of the Pacific northwest are expected to receive well above average rainfall, with the rest of the U.S. and most major row crop states expected to be close to normal.
The seasonal outlook for drought calls for persistent drought in the southwest U.S., southern California, and portions along the lower Mississippi river in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. There is optimism for drought to improve in portions of the Pacific northwest, although much of that is west of the Cascade mountains. The larger crop producing areas of the northwest interior are still likely to see drought, although the NWS believes there are chances it may become less severe over the next few months.
