La Niña Effect: Warmer, Drier Conditions Expected Next Winter

Clint Thompson Weather

By Clint Thompson The cold temperatures and wetter weather conditions that were felt this winter across the Southeast are likely to be replaced with warmer temperatures and drier conditions next winter, believes Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist. It coincides with a La Niña weather pattern that is opposite the current El Niño that’s been observed the last …

Future La Nina Likely Means More Active Tropical Season

Clint Thompson Weather

By Clint Thompson A La Nina weather pattern looms on the horizon. Just how quickly the pattern transitions from the current El Niño remains a question mark, according to Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist. “The models do not all agree on how fast it’s going to change from an El Niño, go through neutral (conditions) to …

El Niño Impact: What Blueberry Diseases are Most Concerning for Growers This Year?

Clint Thompson Blueberries, Florida, Weather

By Clint Thompson The excessive wet weather associated with El Niño this winter has provided ideal conditions for blueberry diseases to pop up. Phil Harmon, professor and Extension plant pathologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), highlighted the two disease concerns growers should be wary of heading into harvest season. They are botrytis gray …

Wet Winter Weather Expected to Continue

Clint Thompson Weather

By Clint Thompson A wet winter is likely to carry over into early spring, according to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist. Knox noted in her Climate and Agriculture Blog that the latest seasonal outlook for February through April shows wetter conditions for the next three months. She emphasized that scenario can have positive and negative impacts on …

Active Tropical Season This Summer?

Clint Thompson Weather

By Clint Thompson Predictions of neutral or La Niña weather conditions from July through September could transition into an active Atlantic tropical season. According to the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension Climate and Agriculture Blog, Pam Knox, UGA Extension agricultural climatologist, said the likelihood of increased storm activity this summer is stronger if the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico …

Recent Rains Typical of El Niño Weather Pattern

Clint Thompson Weather

By Clint Thompson The rain-starved region of the Southeast is quickly accumulating moisture during December. Every week this month has provided much-needed rain for a region that was impacted by drought much of the fall. Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist, believes this is consistent with what is typically expected from an El Niño weather pattern. “It …

Drought Monitor: Dry Conditions Reduced Across Southeast

Clint Thompson Weather

Drought conditions are lessening across the Southeast, due to recent rain events. In the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor, extreme drought has been reduced across areas of North Alabama and North Georgia. Most of South Georgia is drought free, while only a couple of counties in the Florida Panhandle are abnormally dry. Alabama remains the driest among the three states. …

Drought Monitor: Rain Alleviates Some Dry Conditions Across Southeast Region

Clint Thompson Weather

Increased rainfall last week has alleviated some of the drought conditions being experienced throughout the Southeast. Extreme conditions are beginning to dwindle across North Alabama and Northwest Georgia, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. There are still areas across both regions that are in extreme drought, including in Pickens and Greene counties in west Alabama, stretching northeast to Jackson, Dekalb …

Drought Still Widespread Across Southeast

Clint Thompson Weather

Drought still persists across the Southeast region. But exceptional drought no longer exists in North Alabama and North Georgia, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The northern regions of both states are still classified in an extreme drought. Alabama’s driest areas start as far south as Bibb and Hale counties in the central part of the state and stretch northward …

El Niño Winter Usually Equals Minimal Chance for Drought Following Season

Clint Thompson Weather

By Clint Thompson A wet winter is expected across the Southeast with the current El Niño weather pattern. This usually leads to a minimal chance of a drought occurring next spring as a result … usually, believes Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist. “Typically, in a year following an El Niño winter, we do not have drought. Every …