La Nina likely too keep PNW cool and spread drought in central U.S.

Farm and Ranch February 3, 2011 The current La Nina weather pattern is expected to keep temperatures in the Pacific Northwest on the cool side into early summer and see precipitation at normal levels if not slightly above normal in some areas. That was the forecast delivered at the Pacific Northwest Farm Forum in Spokane this week by Dr. Art Douglas, Professor Emeritus of the Atmospheric Science Department at Creighton University. Summer in the region may not be all that warm either.

Douglas says that La Nina also created drought in Mexico which moved into the southern U.S.

Douglas: “Drought in the Southwest is a big problem. With continuing La Nina conditions it looks like that drought hold pretty strong through out the southern Plains and start expanding towards the Midwestern crop areas.”

The Midwest has seen several snow storms but Douglas says the moisture content has been low.

Elsewhere in the world, Douglas says the rain in Australia that caused problems for its winter wheat crop is also providing good moisture for the planting of the next one. Turning to Russia, Douglas says the historical record suggests drought two years in a row is not likely.

Douglas: “The very warm water we had in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea Region actually provided a little more instability and good moisture conditions. So after they got out of that drought their moisture actually started going back up as we got into September, October and November.”

Douglas does not see the dry conditions in northern China as that unusual at this time.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net.

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