OK Confronting Possible 3rd Yr. Of Drought; Some Relief East, But Panhandle In Trouble

[hatrack]

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The drought that ravaged large sections of the Midwest and Great Plains is over, disappearing this spring in a dramatic weather reversal: heavy rains and floods swamping fields with mud in many areas. But some farmers and ranchers in parts of the West and the plains, including southwest Oklahoma, are pondering the prospect of another year of a desert-like landscape and a disappointing harvest.

It's far too soon for predictions. Rain this winter and spring blanketed central and eastern Oklahoma, bringing relief to a state that marked its hottest year ever in 2012 and its driest May-through-December on record, said Gary McManus, associate state climatologist.

But the western third of Oklahoma, including the Panhandle, remains gripped by drought, along with stretches of the central plains from South Dakota down to west Texas and parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Nevada.

For some, this year might be a tipping point, says Mark Svoboda of the National Drought Mitigation Center. "A drought really tests your coping capacity," he says. "You either adapt or you sell out and move on. ... If you're going on year three — those places that are set up best, they're going to survive it — and the others won't."

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http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_23173558/parts-plains-drought-fears-nag-third-year

[newfie11]

1. Problem is with a drought there may not be buyers nt