Drew Lerner, Author at World Weather

Northwest Africa To Receive Much-Needed Rain

Kansas City, February 22 (World Weather Inc.) – Although portions of Tunisia and Algeria received rain during the past week, many areas in northwestern Africa’s winter grain and oilseed region are still suffering from a long-term drought. Production potentials remain less than favorable to poor from northeastern and southwestern Morocco into northwestern Algeria, where some of the most severe drought persists. Other locations have received enough rain this season to support some new growth. Two upper-level low pressure systems will slam into Western Europe during the coming week that will promote periods of well-timed rain for northwestern Africa. The precipitation will support better development conditions and could improve production potentials for at least some areas. The precipitation will be too light to significantly improve the moisture profile for the driest areas of Morocco and northwestern Algeria.

China’s Yangtze River Basin Impacted By Significant Snow

Kansas City, February 21 (World Weather Inc.) – Moisture recently flowed into China as a cold airmass pushed farther to the south across the country in recent days. Rain and snow spread across the Yangtze River Basin, North China Plain, central Yellow River Basin, and neighboring locations in recent days. More precipitation is slated for the Yangtze River Basin and neighboring areas through the end of the weekend with abundant snowfall occurring in many areas. The moisture will eventually be welcome for winter rapeseed that is still dormant, though localized flooding and a sluggish start to spring fieldwork will be concerns. In the meantime, early-season rice and corn planting may be slow starting in the southern coastal provinces and Yunnan because of dryness.

Unusual Warmth Raises Soil Temps, Wakes Up Wheat

Kansas City, February 21 (World Weather Inc.) – An unusually warm February in the United States continues. Temperatures are expected to warm further in the central part of the country within the next five days which will lead to greater soil temperatures and more greening of winter crops especially in the central and southern Plains. The warmth will then be interrupted by a quick surge of unusually cold air in the middle portion of next week before unusual warmth builds back into the central U.S. in early March.