Moisture For Spring and Early Summer and Hot Dry August

The Pacific Northwest Farm Forum and Ag Expo has been happening this week in Spokane, Washington. Creighton University Professor Emeritus Dr. Art Douglas gave a forecast for the region’s weather.
Douglas: “In terms of El Nino, this is the first time we have had a two-year event that ended up being a Mega El Nino — you’d have to go all the way back to 1939-41 for that. What it meant for us is that last year was kinda dry. This fall the water temperatures were so warm the North Pacific low exploded and we got moisture way north compared to normal. Now Alberta hasn’t had much moisture — but definitely Eastern Washington and Oregon. As we keep on looking at this El Nino it is still going to be with us through March and April and that means that some of this weather is going to creep to the north from California. Therefore I’m expecting normal to maybe slightly above normal precipitation for the wheat areas of the Northwest. Drier conditions though in Montana and also maybe slightly drier along the immediate coast of Washington and Oregon.”
He predicts that there should be no winter kill to worry about for winter wheat growers. Earlier summer should be cool so it will be a slow start to the wheat growing season. August is to be very hot and dry.