It’s Raining Again: Recent Rain Events Helping Drought-Stricken Southeast

Clint ThompsonWeather

By Clint Thompson Recent rain events have alleviated some of the dry conditions being observed across the Southeast. All signs point to increased rainfall this winter, due to an El Niño weather pattern, believes Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist. “We’ve been stuck in this pattern of high pressure over us, and it’s just kept all of the …

Hurricane Michael: Five Years Later

Web AdminGeorgia, Weather

By Clint Thompson Five years ago, Hurricane Michael devastated the Southeast and altered the agricultural landscape, especially in Georgia. Five years later, specialty crop producers are still coping with the devastation left by the Category 5 storm. “I think one of the untold stories about Hurricane Michael is how much it affected agriculture; the total amount of dollar damage from …

Hurricane Season Not Over: Future Storms Could Develop in Gulf

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By Clint Thompson Hurricane peak season has come and gone, but that does not mean future storms this fall are out of the question. In fact, specialty crop growers should be mindful that potential storms are now more likely to originate in the Gulf Mexico this time of year, which would not provide ample time for producers in Florida, Georgia …

Current Dry Spell Not Abnormal for This Time of Year

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By Clint Thompson The current dry weather sweeping through the Southeast is not abnormal for this time of year. It is also not expected to improve anytime soon, says Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist. “The seven-day forecast I looked at (last Thursday night) for rainfall is basically zero for anything that’s north of the border between Georgia …

What to Expect? Southeast Eyeing Hurricane Lee

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By Clint Thompson On the heels of Hurricane Idalia, the Southeast is eyeing another monster storm, this time in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Lee is churning towards the United States as a Category 5 storm. However, there is expected to be little, if any, impact on the Southeast, says Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist. “If you look …

Warm Gulf Waters Fuel for Idalia

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By Clint Thompson Idalia continues to churn towards the Southeast. The warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico are helping what could be a major hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Florida, develop in its path to the state’s west coast. Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist, discussed the warmer gulf temperatures and their impact …

Ingredients in Place for Quick Hurricane Development

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By Clint Thompson It is peak hurricane season, so specialty crop growers will be closely eyeing the weather forecasts with fall production season currently underway across the Southeast. While the remnants of Hurricane Hilary continue to impact California this week, all is currently quiet for the Southeast. But that could change in an instant, especially since three tropical storms popped …

Georgia’s Summer Weather: Mostly Wetter and Hotter

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By Clint Thompson Summer is winding down across the Southeast. Georgia’s specialty crop producers will remember this year to be a mostly wet and hot summer, though, those conditions vary throughout the state. The increased rainfall caused tremendous scab pressure in some pecan orchards. The heat also reduced potential harvests for some of the watermelons produced. Pam Knox, University of …

UGA Ag Climatologist: Peak Hurricane Season Starts Mid-August

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By Clint Thompson Specialty crop producers should be aware that the peak hurricane season is approximately a month away. Weather experts have already increased the number of hurricanes expected this year. The current warm waters felt in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean are reason for concern in the Southeast. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist, discussed …

Hurricane Development a Concern with Current Hot Ocean Waters

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By Clint Thompson Hot ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico are concerning for the Southeast. Parts of the Gulf have temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. They could spark hurricane development very quickly, and unfortunately, there is not much preparation time for specialty crop growers in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist, says people …