Northwest Iowa — Area farmers who are looking ahead to the spring planting season are carefully watching the demise of the La Nina weather pattern to see what may come next.
Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub, says it’s almost over.
Surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are fluctuating and may have an impact across North America. Cooling temperatures the last few months created a La Nina effect, but now that may be vanishing. Todey says the climate experts don’t agree yet on what may happen next.
While some parts of the region haven’t seen as much snow as usual this winter, he predicts most of the Northern Plains should see an early thaw.
He says his office should have a better idea about potential spring weather in the next month or so.
