Weather Outlook Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. If you watch much news, you might have worries about the upcoming summer and the drought and wildfire dangers. But is it a valid concern?
Cliff Mass, Atmospheric Sciences Professor at the University of Washington, says even though May was pretty dry, it’s really not as bad as it’s made out to be …
MASS … “The deficit the last month is only like an inch or so. So, it’s not like we’re really down six inches recently. We’re not. So, it’s not that serious and it’s not unprecedented.”
And the dry areas this year, Mass says probably aren’t where you’d expect them to be …
MASS … “There’s a difference between what’s going on east and west of the Cascades. And actually, the precipitation has been much more normal east of the Cascades than west. So, this, in quotes, drought, the dryness is really more on the west side than the east side.”
So, what’s causing THIS year’s unusual weather? It’s gotta be either El Nino or climate change, doesn’t it? …
MASS … “Well, or neither, probably neither. You know, we’ve been in this pattern for a while, much longer than we’ve been in El Nino. We just switched to El Nino during the last month so it aint that, okay?”
And, Mass says, there’s no trend so there’s no reason to think it has anything to do with climate change.
Tune in tomorrow for more on this year’s weather and whether or not it’s as bad as some would have you believe.
