Weather Outlook
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 29, 2009) — The weather couldn’t have been nicer in Phoenix, Ariz., as weather analyst Art Douglas presented the outlook for 2009 during the Cattle-Fax Outlook Seminar at the 2009 Cattle Industry Annual Convention.
The Outlook Report states that cold La Niña conditions along the equator will continue to keep the tropical jet stream weaker than normal across the southern tier of the states. However, Douglas told producers and Cattle-Fax members that his main concerns was the possibility of heading into El Niño conditions.
“Current sea temperatures are colder than normal,” Douglas said. “Temps will get warmer near the end of the summer, and that is what worries me. Storms will likely form on the eastern seaboard.”
Douglas also said there is a current drought covering most of the United States, and this spring conditions look as though they will continue to warm up nicely with a good amount of precipitation to help hedge the drought situation.
“Summer is showing a weak forecast with no extreme heat or drought,” Douglas said. “I predict a typical La Niña pattern, but if it becomes El Niño we will see less hurricanes and more summer thunderstorms.”
Sunspot cooling seems to be a popular topic with weather analysts recently, Douglas noted. An increasing frequency of sunspots translates to a cooling effect, with mention of global cooling. Douglas said more research on this topic should be out soon.
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