LUBBOCK, TX – A developing El Niño pattern could bring more frequent precipitation to the southern and central Plains, improving forage prospects for cattle producers after prolonged drought.
Matt Makins of Makins Weather says the atmospheric pattern is beginning to look more like El Niño, with Pacific storm systems increasingly moving toward California, the Southwest, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas.
He says the strongest regional impacts typically develop from November through April rather than immediately after El Niño forms. Recent rainfall across parts of the southern Plains may be an early sign of that transition.
Makins says a strong El Niño could substantially reduce drought across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and eastern New Mexico if precipitation reaches the upper end of historical ranges over the next six to nine months.
Better moisture could improve winter wheat grazing, pasture growth and spring forage availability. Makins says those conditions could give cattle producers more flexibility to retain females or cautiously begin rebuilding herds.
Farm-Level Takeaway: More frequent Southern Plains precipitation could improve wheat pasture and forage availability for cattle producers into 2027.