El Niño Dissipating, But Timing Uncertain

The deadly El Nińo weather anomaly is slowly dissipating but the timing of its demise is very much up in the air, the U. S. government’s Climate Prediction Center said Feb. 4. The abnormally warm waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which is a hallmark of El Nińo, should gradually cool during April to June,


Last Week’s Storm — Epic

MANITOBA The Pas 42 cm Russell 30-35 cm Flin Flon 30 cm McCreary 30 cm Dauphin 25 cm Winnipeg 20 cm PortagelaPrairie 19cm Steinbach 15-20 cm Emerson Brandon 16 cm 15 cm The weather page is prepared by Daniel Bezte. Dan has a BA Honours degree in geography, specializing in climatology, from the U of

Australia Bush Fires Could Worsen

Australia faces a possible 300 per cent increase in extreme bushfires by 2050 unless world leaders can agree to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions, a new report said Jan. 28. The report, commissioned by Australia’s firefighters and environmental group Greenpeace, said the failure of UN climate talks in Copenhagen to agree on a treaty to


Farming The Weather

Once more, the fickle Manitoba winter unleashed its fury last week, leaving closed highways and schools in its wake. For the uninitiated, it was hell frozen over. For the hardy Manitoban, it was a good day to zip up the coat. The tractor still had to start, the chores still needed doing, and every doorway



New Plan To Help Kenyan Pastoralists

“If it’s successful we will look further afield, in western Africa around the Sahel and southern Asia.” Herders of cows or camels in arid northern Kenya can obtain a new type of insurance against drought – the first of its kind in Africa using satellites to gauge rainfall. Project organizers hope to get about 1,000

Issued: Monday, January 18, 2010 Covering: January 20 –January 27

The mild weather pushed in a little stronger than anticipated last week, and as a result, several locations saw record-high temperatures on Saturday (Jan. 16). It looks like the mild weather will continue for much of this forecast period, but I doubt we will see any more record-breaking temperatures… hmm, I seem to remember saying


Watch Farm Buildings For Excessive Snow Loads

Producers should monitor the snow load situation on their agricultural buildings and take appropriate action. Check high-risk areas, and if you need to remove snow, be extremely careful. Snow and ice add to the total weight that trusses and rafters must support. Ice on a metal roof can prevent snow from sliding off and any

El Niño Rises, Winter To Get Milder

The current winter deep freeze on the Prairies could soon turn balmy because of El Nińo, according to a Canadian Wheat Board weather analyst. A rising El Nińo phenomenon – one of the strongest ever – could bring warmer winter weather to Western Canada, possibly followed by below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation in spring, said