Harris-Mann Climatology’s annual spring and summer outlook predicts more trouble for California and other parts of the West that have been locked in a 4-year-plus drought. The company also predicts the western drought to expand eastward into the crop-growing regions of the central U.S. around the late spring and summer season.
“California was depending on flooding rains from the strong El Nino this year. However, it’s been an unusual El Nino this season as most of the moisture has stayed to the north of the Golden State,” says Meteorologist Randy Mann.
According to Harris-Mann Climatology, many stations in California and other parts of the West are actually below normal levels. Places like Los Angeles and Sacramento, California are reporting moisture totals less than last year at this time.
Climatologist Cliff Harris says, “We’re starting to see the dryness in the West expand to the Great Plains. Many areas that saw record floods in 2015 are now seeing the mud turn to bricks.”
Harris-Mann forecasters point out similar patterns that have occurred about every 4 years. Harris says, “During the Presidential elections years, heat and dryness builds in over the crop-growing areas of the Midwest that ultimately leads to lower yields. This will translate to higher grain and soybean prices later this year.”
Harris-Mann Climatology is also forecasting a snowier winter season across the northern portions of the United States as well as southern California. According to Mann, “The warm El Nino is weakening and there are predictions of a colder La Nina sea-surface temperature pattern in the south-central Pacific Ocean by late this year. We often see colder and snowier seasons when the Pacific waters get colder.”
Harris-Mann Climatology also provides detailed monthly temperature, precipitation and snowfall forecasts for most U.S. and Canadian cities, plus outlooks for the following 12 months for over 6,000 world cities. They have recently added short 30-second videos for over 200 major world cities that describe when is the “best time to travel” based on historical climatology.
The company offers a daily advisory weather and commodity service for farmers and traders. For more information, you can go to their website at http://www.LongRangeWeather.com.
