Drew Lerner, Author at World Weather

Australia Summer Crop Production Hurt By Hot, Dry Summer

Kansas City, March 11 (World Weather Inc.) – A weak tropical weather system brought rain to Queensland during the past week. Some of the precipitation was excessive and resulted in flooding that damaged open boll cotton quality and raised concern about sucrose levels in some of the sugarcane produced along the coast. Other early maturing coarse grain and oilseed crop maturation and harvesting was also disrupted. The remainder of eastern Australia summer crop areas experienced dry or net drying conditions during the past week. Precipitation will be limited for much of eastern Australia through the middle of next week resulting in improved crop maturation and harvest conditions in the wettest areas of Queensland. New South Wales and Victoria will also experience a good environment for early season crop maturation and harvesting.

Canada Prairies Early-Planting Prospects Relatively Favorable

Kansas City, March 11 (World Weather Inc.) – Winter precipitation across Canada’s Prairies has not been ideal with below normal amounts in southern Manitoba and in the Peace River Region. Soil moisture and snowpack in the southwestern Prairies is terrible and there is much concern about spring planting moisture in the region, although some periodic light precipitation is forthcoming to that region. Northeastern Alberta through northern Saskatchewan have the deepest snow cover with some areas reporting more than two feet on the ground. Southern Manitoba has the second greatest snow depth while many areas in the southwest are either snow free or nearly that way. Timely precipitation will be needed this spring to induce the best planting conditions; although many areas in the north, far west (near the Alberta mountains) and in southern Manitoba will have moisture from melting snow to get started with.

U.S. Midwest Blizzard To Bring Freezes To Delta, SE States

Kansas City, March 11 (World Weather Inc.) – Have you had enough weather volatility yet? Severe thunderstorms during the past couple of days have brought large hail damaging wind and tornadoes to parts of the Midwest and southern Plains. The severe storms were a byproduct of unusually warm and humid conditions that built up across the southern Plains, Delta and lower Midwest at the same time a strong cold front pushed into the region bringing cooler and drier air. The volatility is expected to continue with another short-term bout of warming coming up late this week followed by a deep pool of cold air moving south from the arctic. This second round of cold will be potent and should induce a blizzard across the northern Midwest and then hard freezes southward into the central Plains, Delta, Midwest, Mid-South and southeastern states. Travel delays and livestock stress will come from the blizzard while the cold will set back wheat development in many areas throughout the south.