This run of dry weather we’ve had lately has pushed the state into drought conditions. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says currently, about three-fourths of the state is in a drought, with half of the state rated as severe to extreme drought.
“The dryest places are in Central Louisiana, particularly the Avoyelles, Concordia and Catahoula Parishes. Also, a pretty dry wedge down along the coast in Terrebonne,” Grymes said.
Grymes says the drought is making life very tough for many people, not just firefighters.
“It’s not just about the dryness that’s prompting these kinds of wildfires, but now farmers and ranchers are getting worried as we get ready to roll into production season,” Grymes noted.
Grymes says what the state really needs at this point is one good damp spell.
“Two weeks would probably be enough, at this time of year, to get us to where we need to be. It would be enough to get the soils back to where we would like to see them as we roll into the spring,” Grymes explained.
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