Dry conditions are expected to continue in several areas of the country.

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“We do have some limited updates from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Weekly state reports for the week ending March 6th indicating that topsoil moisture is rated 81% very short to short in Kansas and Texas," USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says Oklahoma is also notably dry.

“In those states, looking at some of the crop reporting numbers for the week ending March 6th:  Texas; 75%, 3/4 of the wheat rated very poor to poor condition.  And as you move northward through the Great Plains, those numbers:  For Oklahoma, 57% very poor to poor.  Kansas, 39%.”

So what is the connection?

“The lack of soil moisture having a real impact on the crops and the rangeland pastures as we move into this earlier than normal spring, arriving across the south."

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