Northwest Iowa — Northwest Iowa farmers are getting ready for planting season as La Nina conditions fade in the Pacific Ocean, and there’s no consensus on what may come next.
A La Nina means sea surface temperatures are below long-term trends, bringing cooler weather to our region. Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub, says there are signs an El Nino is developing.
An El Nino means ocean temperatures are averaging above-normal for an extended time, which can bring weather extremes to North America. Todey says an El Nino developing is not in the cards.
Current trends and long-range forecasts into early summer indicate temperatures and precipitation will be above-normal for much of the Midwest and Northern Plains. The Pacific was in a La Nina phase, or cooling, for the past year or so. That’s reverted to more neutral conditions.
