COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Despite a classic winter that has produced nearly 30 inches of snow in Branch County so far, the entire area remains under an “abnormally dry” classification according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor data.
While recent heavy snowfall, including a significant early-season storm that blanketed the county in up to eight inches of wet snow in November, has provided a picturesque winter landscape, it has done little to resolve long-term moisture deficits.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service say that drought conditions often persist through the winter because frozen ground prevents moisture from soaking into the subsoil, and it requires many inches of snow to equal just one inch of liquid precipitation.
As of the end of January, roughly 100% of Branch County is categorized as D0, or abnormally dry, indicating a region that is either entering or recovering from more severe drought conditions.
This persistent dryness follows a year where the county was significantly below its average annual precipitation, finishing 2025 roughly six inches behind normal levels.
Experts warn that unless the region receives approximately double its normal monthly liquid precipitation through March, the lack of subsoil moisture could lead to reduced crop yields and lower water levels in area lakes and rivers by the spring.
Comments