A third consecutive year of Midwest drought conditions coupled with forecast models showing a warmer, drier winter ahead could spell trouble for the 2024 crop growing season.

It’s not a guarantee, but this winter bears watching, said Doug Kluck, central region climate services director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), during a monthly weather outlook webinar Nov. 16.

A strong El Nino weather pattern has developed in the Pacific Ocean, which traditionally means drier and warmer than average temperatures along the northern states while cool, wet weather ...