305: Drought Expansion, Spotty Rain Chances, and a Critical Spring Outlook with Gary Lezak

Lauren is joined again today by Gary Lezak to break down expanding drought conditions across cattle country, uneven rainfall, and what producers should be watching as we move deeper into spring. Drought pressure continues to build across the Southern Plains and Midwest, while upcoming rain chances remain hit-or-miss. Gary explains what the current weather pattern is signaling, how it impacts grazing and planting decisions, and what to watch in the weeks ahead. Links:Weather 20/20 Dashboard Discount⁠ - https://www.weather2020.com/partner/cattle-usaSubstack - https://weather2020.substack.com/The Global Predictor App ⁠- ⁠https://www.weather2020.com/global-predictor-mobile-appYoutube⁠ -https://www.youtube.com/@Weather2020Follow Gary on X ⁠- https://x.com/glezak CattleUSA Insurance - https://info.cattleusainsurance.com/l/1102253/2025-06-04/288f5m⁠CattleUSA Website - https://www.cattleusa.com/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cattleusamediaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/cattleusa.media/Subscribe to our newsletter - https://www.cattleusadrive.com/premiumCattleUSA Media - https://www.cattleusamedia.com/Lauren’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_laurenmoylan/Lauren’s Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ShowboatmediacoThe Next Generation Podcast Website - https://www.thenextgenag.com/Key Takeaways: Drought conditions are expanding across much of cattle countryRain chances are increasing but will be inconsistentEven small amounts of moisture could improve conditionsTiming is critical for grazing, stocking, and planting decisionsSevere weather risks, including hail, are increasingEarly indicators point to continued volatility and potential summer heatChapters:00:00 Welcome + Brazil recap04:30 Drought expansion across the U.S.07:00 Why drought is growing10:00 Rain outlook and coverage13:00 Decision timing for producers15:30 Severe weather risks17:30 Summer outlookKeywords:cattle weather, cattle country drought, expanding drought, agriculture weather forecast, Gary Lezak weather, LRC weather pattern, ranching weather update, livestock weather conditions, drought Texas Oklahoma Kansas, Midwest drought, Southern Plains drought, grazing conditions cattle, pasture conditions drought, rain forecast agriculture, hit or miss rain, severe weather cattle country, hail risk agriculture, crop weather outlook, cattle industry weather, heat stress cattle, summer weather outlook agriculture