



Cattle scavenging parched landscapes in search of tufts of crispy grass were the iconic image of the Texas drought in the winter of 2011. Record dry conditions inflicted nearly $8 billion in economic losses on the state’s agricultural sector before April showers brought a scant dose of relief. By fall, however, it became clear that warm, dry weather would return the following winter thanks to a persistent weather pattern in the tropical Pacific known as La Niña.
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