Lower 48 Natural Gas Producers, Consumers Could Feel Pinch from Spring Drought

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting expanded drought conditions for much of the Lower 48 this spring, foreshadowing significant implications for natural gas producers and consumers.

“Severe to exceptional drought has persisted in some areas of the West since the summer of 2020 and drought has expanded to the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley,” said NOAA’s Jon Gottschalck, Operational Prediction Branch chief. “With nearly 60% of the continental U.S. experiencing minor to exceptional drought conditions, this is the largest drought coverage we’ve seen in the U.S. since 2013.”

In addition to predicting “persistent, prolonged drought” in the West for the second straight year, NOAA expects “above-average temperatures...