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Recent News
From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"The weather in May was fit for Goldilocks, with a beginning that was too hot, an end that was too cool, and a middle that was just right. Despite the myriad of unique meteorological occurrences, two episodes stand out as highlights from a remarkable weather month: dry heat and cold rain..."
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"AgWeatherNet, WSU, Prosser. AgWeatherNet is a network of automated weather stations that provides weather information and decision support systems in near real-time via weather.wsu.edu. The engineering technician is responsible for maintenance, upgrades, installation and all other aspects related to the operation of the weather stations, sensors, and associated equipment..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Little did we know that the early taste of summer that sent temperatures soaring into 70s on April Fools' Day was but a cruel trick from Mother Nature. There were many sleepless nights for growers who were on frost watch for much of last month. In fact, during an impressive stretch from April 8th to 24th, Moxee recorded sub-freezing low temperatures on 15 of 17 days, including 8 consecutive frost mornings from April 11 to 18..."
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"Warmer temperatures are what the Tri-Cities needs to really kick off the agricultural season. But the week is expected to start out on the cooler side, with some frost possible in the next few days, said Nic Loyd, Washington State University's AgWeatherNet meteorologist."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Washington's weather was like a roller coaster ride during March, as the state see-sawed between temperature extremes. Conditions were generally somewhat warmer than normal, especially during the day, although there were significant week to week temperature swings..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"A mild start and a cool finish turned Washington's weather upside-down last month. February is a month that typically sees steadily warming temperatures thanks to an increasingly powerful sun. This year, however, February was turned on its head. Many southern and eastern areas actually observed very little trend in temperature during February, as colder air masses during the latter half of the month served to balance the solar warming..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Washington's climate experienced a rapid course correction from cool to warm in 2012. Last year's above average temperatures contrast sharply with the relative chill of 2011. Overall, Prosser's annual temperature was 1.8 degrees warmer than 2011, and 0.7 degrees above the 1990 to 2012 average..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"January was generally cool and dry due to the calm and stable conditions that persisted for much of the month. For most locations, there were only two active and warm periods during January. The first stormy period occurred around January 6th to 10th, with the second happening near the end of the month..."
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"When it comes to irrigated agriculture, you have a unique set of interests. At WSU Extension, we want to provide you with the information that matches your interests, and nothing more..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"December was an active weather month, which resulted in seasonally wet and unusually warm conditions across Washington. Temperatures were above average, especially in southeastern Washington, due to the abnormally mild conditions early in the month that resulted from a strong and mild Pacific air flow that kept conditions well mixed east of the Cascades..."
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"The drought that made 2012 one of the driest years in the past century will likely persist across much of the West into March of 2013, according to the new Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook from the Western Governors' Association (WGA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)..."
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"Agriculture is the backbone of our region's economy. And we're fortunate to have a major research facility here in Benton County to help with innovation and information to keep the industry moving forward in the most productive manner..."
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"Agriculture not only provides our food, it is also a major component of the US economy and that of many other countries. The recent drought in the Midwest shows that weather has a major impact on agricultural production..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Mild and variably active weather was the rule in November, thanks to a lack of any cold arctic outbreaks. In fact, Moxee's average low temperature was 5.5 degrees above average, which makes it the warmest since 1999, and the second warmest since at least 1989..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"October was a time not only for endings, but also for new beginnings. Autumnal variability finally triumphed over the stubborn and stable summer pattern that had controlled Washington's weather since late July..."
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"The western half of the continental U.S. and central and northern Alaska could be in for a warmer-than-average winter, while most of Florida might be colder-than-normal December through February, according to NOAA's annual Winter Outlook announced today from the agency's new Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, Md..."
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"Drought is likely to persist through December across much of the West, according to the latest regional Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook from the Western Governors' Association (WGA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"A dangerous combination of tinder dry fuels and thunderstorms caused massive fires to rage last month, as hot and dry late-summer weather continued through September. Many of the blazes were sparked by a dry lightning storm that passed along the Cascade east slopes on the night of the 8th, and triggered around 90 separate fires in Yakima and Kittitas Counties..."
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"A more accurate way to measure cold hardiness in apple and sweet cherry buds and blooms during early spring is under development by researchers at Washington State University Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC). The three-year project, funded by the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission this year, will help Pacific Northwest growers better protect their orchards during frosts..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of northwest weather were all on display during Washington's summer of 2012. Despite a good ending that featured sunny and pleasant late August weather, much of the summer weather ranged from bad to downright ugly..."
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"AgWeatherNet, Washington State University's automated weather station network, is testing a national, state-of-the-art weather forecasting model as a possible tool for better predicting weather systems, especially for parts of the state where tree fruit crops are important..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Strong thunderstorms, large hail, flash floods, and high humidity made Washington's July weather seem more like summertime in the Midwest than the Northwest. An unusual weather pattern consisting of unstable southerly flow led to an abnormally stormy period during the third week of July..."
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"The Western Governors' Association has produced an issue brief on the severity of the drought across the Western states. It is available to the public for both general information and planning purposes..."
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"While Washington has been spared the devastating droughts and fires that farmers and ranchers in other parts of the nation are contending with, the region has experienced damaging storms. The USDA reports that U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is using his authority to flex programs in order to provide relief for those affected..."
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"Farmers and ranchers throughout the nation are dealing with extreme weather situations this year. While Washington State has been spared the worst of the drought and fires suffered in other parts of the country, the region has experienced storms throughout the state..."
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"USDA Announces Streamlined Disaster Designation Process with Lower Emergency Loan Rates and Greater CRP Flexibility in Disaster Areas. Mix of Discretionary Tools and Process Improvements Will Help Producers Suffering Effects of Extreme Weather..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"It was déjà vu all over again in June, as Washington's cool and wet weather was eerily reminiscent of last year's cool beginning of the growing season. June featured numerous days of stormy weather, and multiple temperature and rainfall records were set. In arid south central Washington, Station 2 established an all-time (1993 to present) record for daily rainfall on June 4th..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Luckily for Washington growers, lightning did not strike twice in the same place this year. The near average March to May temperatures during the spring of 2012 are in sharp contrast to the record cold that was observed last spring..."
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"There is a 50% chance that El Niño conditions will develop during the second half of 2012..."
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"With the release of Irrigation Scheduler Mobile, irrigation just got easier for Washington homeowners and agricultural producers. An online tool developed by researchers at Washington State University, Irrigation Scheduler Mobile combines information about soil, crop type and weather to calculate the optimal amount of water to use..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"It was a great relief to most Washingtonians that the weather last month was nothing like the weather in April of 2011. In stark contrast to last year, this spring has already featured an abundance of warm and sunny weather..."
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"Knowledge is power, and in data-poor regions of the world, techniques that make data collection more efficient are a boon for local researchers and the stakeholders they serve. That's why WSU agrometeorologist Gerrit Hoogenboom helped lead a series of workshops in Tanzania, Ghana and Kenya to transfer decision-support system technologies to researchers in African nations..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"In contrast to the conventional wisdom, March ended with a continuation of the stormy conditions that dominated the weather during the middle and latter part of the month. Temperatures were slightly below normal overall thanks to cloud cover and periodic intrusions of cold, upper level air from the Pacific Ocean..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"The 2011/2012 winter featured near normal conditions and temperatures overall, although December was abnormally quiet and nearly precipitation free through Christmas. The dry weather and lack of storms, especially during the early part of the winter, contributed to below normal winter precipitation for much of Washington..."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"January behaved much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as unseasonably calm conditions for the first half of the month quickly transitioned into active winter weather for 7 to 10 days during the middle to latter part of January. This period of active weather began on January 14th and included heavy rain, heavy snow, ice, wind, flooding, and extreme low temperatures...."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"2011 was a remarkable year in which unusual weather events were commonplace and even expected. The year began with warmer than normal conditions and relatively little mountain snowfall during January. And although the presence of a moderate to strong La Niña during the autumn of 2010 led to the expectation of a cool and wet spring, no one could have predicted that central Washington would experience the coolest and windiest spring in recent memory."
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"WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that farmers in 15 Washington state counties are now eligible to apply for emergency assistance and ongoing disaster assistance programs for losses suffered as a result of extreme weather conditions during the first seven months of 2011."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"December of 2011 was one of the driest Decembers on record thanks to a persistent and anomalous ridge of high pressure that blocked strong storms from reaching the Northwest for most of the month. In fact, heavy rain in parts of western Washington during the last week of the year prevented western Washington from experiencing the driest December on record. Poor air quality and low clouds were the greatest weather concerns for much of the month through Christmas."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Washington experienced fairly normal late autumn conditions, or at least typically variable weather, during November of 2011, although there were several periods of interesting weather during the month. "
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"Just in time for winter, WSU researchers have launched a web-based Grapevine Cold Hardiness tool. Based on mathematical simulations of how grapevines respond to cold temperatures throughout the winter, this tool provides estimated low temperature thresholds for bud damage of over 20 wine and juice grape cultivars."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Mild temperatures and periodic weak weather systems were the common themes during the month of October. Although temperatures were near or slightly below average during the day, overnight low temperatures were well above average, making October the third consecutive month of warmer than normal conditions in central Washington after six months of cooler than average conditions."
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"The crack weather observers employed by WSU Discovery noticed an odd phenomenon this morning: a biting wind blowing from the east outside our Pullman field station, while forecasters say our first snow of the year could come out of the west."
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by Steve Pierce
"Is it a trick or a treat? Either way, La Nina is back and she may be handing out plenty of adverse weather across the Pacific Northwest again this winter."
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Webinar presented by
Gerrit Hoogenboom, Ph.D. Director of the Washington Agricultural Weather Network
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Many Washington locations experienced the third warmest September on record this year, and Prosser (WSU IAREC) recorded five consecutive days with temperatures of 90 degrees or higher from September 9th to 13th."
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"Apple and pear growers throughout the state have agreed to make a historic investment of $27 million over the next eight years to support tree fruit research and extension at Washington State University. It is the largest single gift in the university's history."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"The middle of 2011 has featured a tale of two summers, with a very warm August following a notably cool June and July. August was seasonally hot and dry in Central Washington, as the region returned to a more typical late summer weather pattern featuring high temperatures generally in the upper 80s to lower 90s."
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by Hannelore Sudermann
"In the spring of 1792, George Vancouver praised 'the delightful serenity of the weather.' A few years later, William Clark complained of a dour winter that was 'cloudy, dark and disagreeable.' How right they both were. Weather patterns determined by mountains and ocean grant the Pacific Northwest a temperate climate that also has a dark and unpredictable side."
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Related:
Watching the weather...
"OLYMPIA - Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced she has asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to determine whether to designate the entire state of Washington a farm disaster area due to weather-related productions delays and crop losses."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"Central Washington finally experienced several days of typically hot summertime weather during July, with temperatures climbing above 90°F at Prosser seven times during the month. However, a more active storm track than is normal for July worked to periodically deliver cooler Pacific air to the region and provided numerous breaks from the brief hot spells. The region remained cooler than normal, and none of our highlighted weather locations experienced 100 degree weather during July."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"After an unusually cool spring, temperatures began to climb to near normal in central Washington during the month of June. The lingering impacts of La Niña that were experienced during winter and spring appeared to be fading away with the arrival of summer and ENSO neutral conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Despite the warming conditions, however, June temperatures remained slightly below average."
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From the desk of
Nic Loyd
"After a wild winter of weather extremes, the springtime weather in Central Washington was equally unique. Following periods of unusual warmth in January and February, a large scale pattern change occurred in late February and yielded one of the coolest spring (March to May) periods in central Washington in twenty years. The most notable aspect of the anomalous spring weather was not extreme cold spells but rather the longevity of the cool weather and the consistency of the large scale pattern."
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"Many of the decisions that are made by growers and producers are directly or indirectly affected by either past weather conditions, current conditions, or future conditions and forecasts. Although the NWS provides a wealth of weather information, it does not always address current horticultural issues. As a result, many Land-Grant Universities have developed automated weather station networks to specifically support the local agricultural and horticultural industries..."read more...
"Washington State University's world-renowned agrometeorologist Gerrit Hoogenboom is not waiting for water to be worth its weight in gold before taking action. Hoogenboom is the leader of an international NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) team working in the former Soviet republic of Georgia to teach peace - and water conservation - through agriculture..."read more...
"Because peace depends on stability, there is a NATO programme that focuses on scientific environmental cooperation, for example over water management across borders. In the southern Caucasus region, agriculture is bearing diplomatic fruit..."read more...
"Dr. Gerrit Hoogenboom, director of AgWeatherNet, last week talks with growers at the monthly grape fieldman's breakfast at Prosser's Barn Restaurant..."read more...
"Gerrit Hoogenboom, a professor of agrometeorology and crop modeling, is the new director of Washington State University's Agricultural Weather Network..."
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PROSSER, Wash. - In an effort to provide valuable data to their technologically savvy clientele, the Washington State University AgWeatherNet development team has released two new weather products, as well as a third product developed by 4Quarters, Inc."
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