Spencer, IA: (Jan. 04, 2012) - A noted climatologist on Wednesday said the La Nina weather anomaly may keep Texas and the U.S. Southwest in a prolonged dry spell well into the new year.

 

Florida State University Climatologist David Zierden says growers in Texas and surrounding areas could be dealing with drought issues well into the spring and summer.

 

Zierden was speaking at the annual Beltwide cotton conference about weather conditions in the main cotton growing region of Texas. His prediction was not good news to growers who last year lost nearly half of their cotton crop to drought. Most of the nearly 5 million acres that were not harvested last year were from Texas.