While significant worsening of the ongoing drought is not expected heading into the spring, any potential improvement is also hard to forecast over the course of the next several months during winter. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says the outlook for winter released in October shows equal chances for above or below normal precipitation during the upcoming winter, but with an El Nino pattern settling into the Pacific, recent trends suggest wetter than average conditions are a strong possibility. However, Glisan says in order for the drought to improve, snowpack needs to either stay in tact for a long period of time heading into the spring thaw, or, if the ground doesn’t freeze as deep, rain could better penetrate the soil. Hear more about the latest with the state climate on today’s In Touch with South Central Iowa.