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UNL climatologist leans towards warmer and drier spring

The cold and wet spring of 2018 was a challenging one for many Midwestern farmers. But a University of Nebraska climatologist thinks Mother Nature could be more cooperative this year.

Al Dutcher says if the current El Nino weather pattern holds, it could bring a reversal of conditions seen last spring.

“We were warm last March and cold in April. Perhaps (this year) we’re going to see our cold in March and our warmth return in April,” Dutcher says. “If that occurs—even with the soil moisture we have—if we can get enough drying between individual events, and with the warm conditions, we may not see nearly as much of a backlog in terms of planting.”

Of course, there are lot of “ifs” when it comes weather forecasting. Dutcher says a lot depends on if the El Nino continues on or starts to weaken in the spring.

“But it does look to me like this event is probably going to be in an El Nino-like situation at least through the middle of the summer and, most likely, will continue on into the fall period.”

The position of the jet stream in the spring will also be a factor, Dutcher says.

We spoke with Dutcher at the Northeast Nebraska Farm and Equipment Show in Norfolk.

AUDIO: Al Dutcher