rain

Rain, Rain, Rain: Wet Weather Impacting Central Alabama Strawberries, Peaches

Dan CooperAlabama, Peaches, Strawberries, Weather

Central Alabama peach and strawberry producers have been challenged with rain events that are impacting this year’s crops. Disease pressure has been widespread in both crops, according to David Lawrence, regional Extension agent in central Alabama. “We’ve seen a lot of disease this year. The diseases that we normally see more in the mid-summer, we’re seeing those this time of …

UGA Climatologist: More Storm Activity Expected in the Gulf, Along East Coast

Clint ThompsonWeather

By Clint Thompson Colorado State University’s forecast of 23 named storms and 11 hurricanes for this tropical season are significantly more than the average from the previous 30 years. Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist, noted in her UGA Climate and Agriculture Blog that the average number of storms from 1991-2020 was 14.4 and hurricanes were 7.2. …

Drought Monitor Update: Minimal Dry Conditions Observed Across Southeast

Clint ThompsonWeather

Most of the Southeast region has sufficient moisture. The only abnormally dry conditions are seen in part of Florida and North Carolina, according to the most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Multiple counties in southern Florida are abnormally dry. The dry conditions start as far north as Brevard, Osceola, Polk and Hillsborough counties and stretch southward to Charlotte, …

How Much Longer Before Neutral Weather Conditions?

Clint ThompsonWeather

By Clint Thompson El Niño flexed its muscle during the winter and early spring. Cold, wet conditions have been prevalent across the Southeast. But how much longer will it last and what exactly are neutral conditions that weather experts project El Niño to transition into? Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist, provides an answer. “Think of it …

Typical El Niño Winter Drenched Most of SE

Clint ThompsonWeather

By Clint Thompson Specialty crop growers knew heading into this season that it had the potential to be cold and wet. In certain areas across the Southeast (SE), this year’s El Niño did not disappoint. It was so wet across Alabama, Florida and Georgia that the mostly dry conditions that were present last fall quickly disappeared. In the most recent …

Rainy Season: El Niño Hanging Around

Clint ThompsonWeather

By Clint Thompson Wet weather conditions are expected to remain across the Southeast through April, believes Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist. “It was a really strong El Niño, so it’s going to take a while for it to decay and go away. We can expect impacts like this to linger for probably at least the next couple …

La Niña Effect: Warmer, Drier Conditions Expected Next Winter

Clint ThompsonWeather

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 ThompsonWeather

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 ThompsonBlueberries, 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 ThompsonWeather

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 …