Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecast for March through May calls for above-normal temps from Nebraska southward and eastward

The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecast for March through May calls for above-normal temps from Nebraska southward and eastward, as well as the Four-Corners region, with the highest probability of warmth across New Mexico and Texas. The forecast signals Midwest soils will thaw quickly, but it also raises moisture requirements for HRW wheat, where the crop is already coming out of dormancy. Below-normal precip is expected across western Texas, while chances are equal for normal, below- or above-normal precip from Nebraska southward. Meanwhile, above-normal precip is expected across the Pacific Northwest, Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, including the northern half of Iowa and the northern tier of counties in Illinois. Elsewhere across the Midwest, chances are equal for normal, below- or above-normal precip. In its outlook for March, the CPC calls above-normal temps across the southern tier of states and southern Oklahoma, while below-normal temps are expected across Montana and North Dakota. Elsewhere across the Plains and Midwest, chances are equal for normal, below- or above-normal temps. Meanwhile, below-normal precip is expected across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle, which could stress the winter wheat crop. Above-normal precip is expected across the Northern Plains and northern Nebraska, while chances are equal for normal, below- or above-normal precip across Kansas and the Midwest.