Widespread moderate to severe drought from Arizona and Colorado through most ofTexas will likely lead to an early start to summer across this region.With a lack of moisture in the ground, there will be less evaporation thannormal during the rest of the spring and into the early summer.

Evaporation of water is a cooling process, and with less evaporation, the sun'senergy will be able to go more directly toward heating the ground, instead ofevaporating water across this region as the spring progresses toward summer.

Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.