FEATURE – GOOD GROWING WEATHER FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER
INTRO: A U-S-D-A meteorologist says crops should fare pretty well across the country for the rest of the summer. The USDA’s Bob Ellison has more. (1:30)
U-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE METEOROLOGIST BRAD RIPPEY SAYS THIS YEAR’S CROP SEASON ACROSS THE COUNTRY LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. RIPPEY SAYS ROW CROP CONDITIONS ARE EQUAL TO OR BETTER THAN THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
Brad Rippey, USDA Agricultural Meteorologist: It’s been a very warm Spring and early summer, so we see crop development much ahead of the pace of what we saw last year or for that matter the five year average.
RIPPEY SAYS THE OUTLOOK FOR THE REST OF JULY AND FOR AUGUST IS FOR A FAIRLY WARM WEATHER PATTERN FOR MOST OF THE NATION.
Brad Rippey, USDA Agricultural Meteorologist: If we can keep it warm but not hot, crops can move through reproduction and filling stages under nearly optimum conditions, which would be like a greenhouse type environment rather than if it gets a little bit hotter than we expect that could quickly increase stress on reproductive to filling summer crops.But at this time we do not expect any excessive heat. That means temperatures peaking mostly in the Midwest in the low to mid nineties, and that should prevent any significant heat stress as crops move through the reproductive to filling stage.
RIPPEY DOES SAY THAT THIS COULD BE AN ESPECIALLY ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON AND THAT WOULD AFFECT THE SOUTH AND EAST COAST.
Brad Rippey, USDA Agricultural Meteorologist: As we head into August, September and October, which is the heart of the Atlantic tropical season we expect that there will be a lot of named tropical storms, possibly more than twenty and that could have a major implication on wet weather in the Gulf Coast states as well as the Atlantic Coast states.
IN WASHINGTON D-C FOR THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, I’M BOB ELLISON.
