260: Western Drought Warnings, Midwest Snow Cycles, and a Hot Summer Outlook with Gary Lezak

Snow drought conditions across the western United States are raising serious concerns for water supplies, fire season risk, and downstream impacts throughout cattle country. In this episode, Lauren is joined by Gary Lezak to break down what the Lezak Recurring Cycle is showing for the rest of winter, what to expect across the Midwest in the coming weeks, and why this summer is already shaping up to be one producers need to plan for. From short-term storm windows to long-term drought and heat risks, this conversation connects the dots between weather patterns and real-world impacts on agriculture.

Links

Weather 20/20 Dashboard Discount⁠ - https://www.weather2020.com/partner/cattle-usa
Substack - https://weather2020.substack.com/
The Global Predictor App ⁠- ⁠https://www.weather2020.com/global-predictor-mobile-app
Youtube⁠ -https://www.youtube.com/@Weather2020
Follow Gary on X ⁠- https://x.com/glezak
CattleUSA Insurance - https://info.cattleusainsurance.com/l/1102253/2025-06-04/288f5m
⁠CattleUSA Website - https://www.cattleusa.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cattleusamedia
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cattleusa.media/
Subscribe to our newsletter - https://www.cattleusadrive.com/premium
CattleUSA Media - https://www.cattleusamedia.com/
Lauren’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_laurenmoylan/
Lauren’s Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Showboatmediaco
The Next Generation Podcast Website - https://www.thenextgenag.com/

Takeaways

• Western snowpack is tracking below record-low levels
• Utah and Colorado are seeing historic snow shortages
• Nebraska remains a growing drought concern
• The Midwest will see returning storm cycles over the next two weeks
• Snow is possible around mid-February, but not a guaranteed major event
• Spring moisture trends will become clearer in the next few weeks
• The LRC indicates major western storms returning in March
• A significant summer heat wave is already projected
• August is shaping up to be the most critical heat window
• Weather planning now matters for crops, water, and cattle

Chapters

00:00 Catching up and snow drought overview
01:40 Western snowpack concerns and water implications
04:20 Nebraska drought trends and expansion risks
05:45 What to expect over the next two weeks
07:30 Storm cycle returns and Midwest snow potential
09:20 Separating hype from reality on snowfall totals
11:50 How the LRC improves long-range forecasting
13:40 Summer heat outlook and crop implications
15:30 Severe weather patterns later this year
16:45 Final thoughts and planning ahead

weather outlook agriculture, snow drought west, Nebraska drought, Midwest weather forecast, LRC weather cycle, summer heat forecast, cattle country weather, water supply concerns, spring storm outlook, long-range weather forecast