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As we approach the Easter weekend, with baskets full of chocolate bunnies, I was interested to note a report in AgWeb about adverse impacts of the current strong El Niño on the production of cocoa beans, used to make chocolate. I’ve put a map of the major production areas below along with a map showing…
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As a meteorologist, I am a member of the American Meteorological Society, the primary professional society for meteorologists (and other atmospheric scientists, including climatologists) in the country. So are many other meteorologists, including those who work for the National Weather Service, private forecasting firms, and television broadcasters. This week the AMS released the results of…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
AgWeb reported this week that the mild winter experienced in Europe this year has led to a potentially bumper crop in wheat there this year. This may add to an oversupply of the grain due to a surge in production over the last two seasons. They report that “crops are about two weeks ahead of…
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The recent warming across the Southeast has caused pollen counts to soar. In Athens where I live, it seems to me like the usual progression of flowers and their pollen have compressed into one short burst of blooming as temperatures of over 80 F have occurred in many parts of the region, even with cold…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
Yesterday was World Meteorological Day, which celebrates the founding of the World Meteorological Organization in 1950. The theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day was “Hotter, Drier, Wetter—Face the Future.” You can read more about the history of this organization and a summary of recent global disasters at Jeff Masters’ Wunderblog here.
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The Packer reported today that the Vidalia onion crop this year is looking very good. They report that “after early-season rain thinned some stands, recent near-ideal growing conditions have raised expectations for the start of the Vidalia onion season in April.” Good weather in March has helped speed the development of the crop and…
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As I was flying to San Antonio this week to attend the eXtension conference, I noticed the tremendous flooding near the Mississippi River due to the recent heavy rains. Sadly, I could not get a photo because I was not in a window seat. In a previous blog post I attributed this to an atmospheric…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news