Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies in degrees Celsius for the week centred on Jan. 31. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

La Nina seen likely to fade by spring

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — The current La Nina weather cycle is likely to transition into more neutral conditions by spring, a U.S. government weather forecaster said Thursday. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and is linked with floods and droughts. It is the opposite phase of what is known […] Read more

(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. grains: Soy nears US$10 a bushel ahead of holiday

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures approached a two-week high near US$10 a bushel Wednesday on technical buying ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, analysts said. Additional support stemmed from worries that the La Nina weather phenomenon, expected to emerge next month, could stress soy and corn crops in South America. The La Nina […] Read more


Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies in degrees Celsius for the week centred on Sept. 27. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

La Nina could return cold, snowy tradition to Prairies

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — The world’s major weather forecasters predict a slightly better than 50 per cent chance that a La Nina weather pattern will occur this fall and winter. Most Prairie farmers could see good things happening if the system does materialize, because La Nina systems tend to bring what many people think of as […] Read more

Sea surface temperature anomalies over the Pacific for the week centred on May 31. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

U.S. forecaster sees El Nino unlikely through fall

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday said there are no active El Nino or La Nina patterns and that neutral conditions are likely in the Northern Hemisphere during fall 2017. However, chances for El Nino remain elevated, between 35 and 50 per cent, relative to the long-term average into the fall, the […] Read more


Sea surface temperature anomalies in degrees Celsius for the week centred on Feb. 1, 2017. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

U.S. forecaster says La Nina faded, sees El Nino potential

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — A U.S. weather forecaster on Thursday said La Nina has faded and neutral conditions are likely to continue in the coming months, though it noted some chance that the El Nino phenomenon may reappear as early as the Northern Hemisphere spring. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), an agency of the National Weather Service, […] Read more



Anomalies in weekly averaged sea surface temperature (Celsius) over the Pacific for the week centred on Nov. 30, 2016. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

U.S. forecaster sees weak La Nina likely to fade in early 2017

Reading Time: < 1 minute New York | Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday said weak La Nina conditions were present but favoured to dissipate in the coming months. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in a monthly forecast that conditions were likely to transition back to neutral during January through March. The report said […] Read more

Soil moisture (top five cm of soil) on Prairies for November 2016, measured as difference from average. (AAFC Drought Watch map)

Winter wonderland piles on saturated eastern Prairies

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — While a wave of snow slowly pummels parts of Saskatchewan and much of Manitoba, one soil moisture expert says water is still trickling through the soil into natural water channels. According to Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Drought Watch program in Regina, this is a good thing, as […] Read more


U.S. forecaster sees La Nina likely in coming months

Reading Time: < 1 minute New York | Reuters — A U.S. government forecaster on Thursday said the chance has increased for weather phenomenon La Nina developing in the coming months in the Northern Hemisphere fall and persist into winter 2016-17. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), an agency of the National Weather Service, in a monthly forecast pegged the chance […] Read more

Pacific Ocean surface temperature anomalies, in degrees Celsius, for the seven-day period centred on Aug. 31, 2016. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

U.S. agency reduces outlook for La Nina in 2016-17

Reading Time: < 1 minute New York | Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster reduced its outlook on Thursday for La Nina conditions to develop during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter of 2016-17, saying neutral conditions were more likely. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), an agency of the National Weather Service, said in a monthly forecast there was […] Read more