Tired of the cool/damp weather? I doubt I could find anyone that would answer that question with anything but a resounding yes. Good news that is likely what is going to happen. There will be a storm system this weekend but it appears it will stay well south of North Dakota meaning that dry weather… Read more Warmer Coming
Month: April 2016
Spring Phenology
Many people tend to write down and keep track of certain annual events. These events may include the sighting of the first robin of spring, or if you live near a lake, the ice out date. For many in agriculture it may be the plant date for a certain crop. For me in recent years,… Read more Spring Phenology
Dry to Wet
With the rain from earlier this week in our region, plus the storm today and perhaps another one this weekend impacting much of the traditional corn and soybean belts in the United States, there is basically no drought left in the highly agricultural regions in the central part of the country. With so much talk… Read more Dry to Wet
4/25/16: Weekend Rain
With the exception of parts of southwestern North Dakota, much was the rest of southern North Dakota recorded quite a bit of rain Sunday into Sunday night. Rain totals in the one to two inch range we very common. Any lingering locations that were considered dry likely got more than enough rain to end any… Read more 4/25/16: Weekend Rain
South American Rain
Last week some flooding rains impacting agricultural areas in Argentina and Brazil delaying the harvest in some locations, but the impact should be minimal over all. Although El Nino’s often bring abundant rains to the corn and soybean belts in South America, La Ninas do correlate with droughts in that part of the world. So… Read more South American Rain
Weekend Rain: April 15-18, 2016
The weekend storm dropped quite a bit of rain in some areas and not so much in others. In other words, a typical spring storm. The heaviest rain fell from south central North Dakota into far northwestern Minnesota where 1 to 2 inches of rain was common. In fact, some areas in far NE North… Read more Weekend Rain: April 15-18, 2016
4/15/16: Rain
As you’re reading this (if it is on Friday), it is already raining in parts of the upper Midwest and that rain will eventually become more widespread later today into Saturday morning. We will find out for sure in the next 24 hours, but this rain will likely end much of the talk about many… Read more 4/15/16: Rain
4/12/16: Rain Coming?
My most common phone call this week has been about the potential precipitation coming later this week into the weekend. Yes, there appears to be a pattern change occurring and a storm will likely develop from this transition, yet, frequently hype of an approaching storm and what ends up occurring are two different things. All… Read more 4/12/16: Rain Coming?
How Dry is it?
As was the case in 2015, there is much talk about how dry the area is this spring. A look at the Drought Monitor from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln paints most of North Dakota in “Abnormally Dry” or even 25% of the state in D1 or moderate drought conditions, but from a historical… Read more How Dry is it?
March 2016 Climate Summary
Precipitation: The average precipitation in North Dakota nearly doubles from February to March from 0.44 to 0.83 inches. Taking data from both cooperative and CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network) observers, the average precipitation in North Dakota in March 2016 was 0.52 inches which also matched results from the National Centers for Environmental… Read more March 2016 Climate Summary