Spring planting conditions improve with late winter snow

The late-winter storm that blew through the region this past week had a number of us grumbling about the change in the weather. Weve already put our shovels away and searched again for, if not a pair of shorts, perhaps a lighter jacket.
Its been a pretty mild, easy winter this year to get around.
Local students celebrated a couple extra days of spring break however, as a result of the icy, snowy and windy conditions.
Area farmers also likely considered last weeks precipitation, even in the form of snow, a welcome sight. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows the region now in abnormally dry conditions after a tough and very dry 2023. Statewide, regions now considered no-drought increased by 11-percent while abnormally dry areas improved by 10-percent.
Farmers have been grappling with the problems caused by low soil moisture now for years. Reduced yields remain a primary concern for growers. For producers, its become the availability of and high cost of feed.
There is optimism though for 2024 and an anticipation of a solid year ahead, especially with warmer temperatures returning in the coming days and the forecast calling for even more precipitation.