El Nino in the Forecast Pt 1

El Nino in the Forecast Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. Weather, the constant we're quite too sure about. But, the long-term forecast is looking like an El Nino will develop over the Pacific, impacting our weather by late Fall or Winter. Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond says from what he can see, La Nina's warmer cousin appears to be on the way ...

BOND-1 = 22 ... "The indications right now are that it's a little bit more likely than not that by the end of Summer this year, Fall of 2018, that we'll have a weak maybe moderate El Nino conditions in the tropical Pacific. And, not so much for the Summer ahead, but that does mean something for the Winter."

Bond says El Nino's warmer reputation, is an average ...

BOND-2A = 10 ... "Generally, it stacks the deck for warmer-than-normal temperatures especially in the late Winter season. It typically has meant a reduced snow-pack."

But, Bond says it doesn't happen that way every time ...

BOND-2B = 22 ... "That's significant of a signal in precipitation. Some El Nino's tend to be dryer. The last one we had it was actually a little bit wetter than normal and so there you would have to kind of hedge your bets on the dry side. But, the kind of more robust signature of El Nino is a warmer than normal Winter. So, that's something that could be on the horizon."

Bond says El Nino doesn't impact our Summer weather too much, generally speaking.

Tune in tomorrow for more on what this El Nino could mean for our water supply, next year.

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BL: Hi and welcome back to another addition of "Fruit Bites" brought to you by Valent U.S.A. and with us again is Valent's Allison Walston. And this week Allison we're talking about Frost protection and how to manage crops and avoid damage ...

AW: Frost prevention can be tricky when Mother Nature doesn't play nicely. Early frosts in the autumn can severely injure a tree because dormancy hasn't been reached yet. Sometimes below freezing temperatures can kill trees especially if recently pruned.

BL: Is there a difference between apples & pears?

AW: Pear growing areas became just that when cold temperatures knocked out most of the apple trees with the pear trees surviving. Spring frosts can kill or damage fruit buds once they have broken dormancy. Freezing ruptures the cells and scorches the plant tissue. That's why you see wind machines in low lying areas. The cold air sinks into these low spots, creating an inversion. The frost fans move and mix the air to prevent damage.

BL: That's great Allison. Join us every week for Fruit Bites, brought to you by Valent USA. Until then, I'm Bob Larson.

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