By Bob Larson

With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. As 2020 winds down to a much-anticipated conclusion, growers still have the weather to worry about. It’s always different, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always keeping them on their toes.

This winter, according to Washington State Climatologist, Nick Bond, is looking more and more like a La Nina winter …

BOND … “Just in the last couple of months, we’re both more certain about it and it looks like a stronger one and, it’s not the most accurate term, but there are kind of flavors of La Nina, and this is of the flavor that has, at least in the past, had kind of systematic impacts on the pressure and wind patterns and ultimately the precipitation around here.”

But, remind us again, what exactly does a La Nina winter look like? …

BOND … “La Nina winters tend to be on the wet side, not every time, but tend to be on the wet side early and on the cool side late, and sometimes also wet after the first of the calendar year.”

So, Bond says from a water perspective, this winter should not disappoint …

BOND … “And one of the more, kind of, reliable sort of connections between La Nina and our weather is the end-of-season mountain snowpack, almost always. There are exceptions of course in this game. The La Nina winters we end up having an above normal snowpack.”

Listen to Part 1

Over the past few decades, winter weather seems to be tied so often to either El Nino or La Nina, warmer and drier or cooler and wetter. And this winter is no different, with most forecast models calling for a La Nina winter.

Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond says that means a bit cooler and wetter, especially on the west side …

BOND … “The additional precipitation is mostly on the west side of the Cascades. During these kinds of La Nina winters, the winds from the west tend to be a little bit stronger than usual in an overall sense.”

Bond says the weather will, of course, vary by region …

BOND … “In terms of kind of charging up ground water supplies and that sort of things, there can be places that don’t really kind of share in the fun as much.”

And that precipitation, Bond says can be shared …

BOND … “But overall, from a water supply point of view, La Nina winters are good for the Pacific Northwest.”

But, Bond says the same good fortune probably can’t be said for folks south in California …

BOND … “It looks like they’re going to get fewer storms and have a dry winter. And so, there are winners and losers and from the water supply aspect it looks like the Pacific Northwest is going to be the winner.”

Listen to Part 2

The winter months ahead are very likely going to be a La Nina type of season, with slightly cooler and wetter weather in store for the Pacific Northwest.

Washington State Climatologist, Nick Bond says that means we’re probably looking at more snowpack in the mountains, AND some in the lowlands …

BOND … “Compared to the neutral winters when there’s not either El Nino or La Nina, again, the La Nina winters tend to have some more of that low land snow and just colder, snowier conditions also east of the Cascades in the Columbia Basin and the Inland Empire region.”

It could also mean, Bond says the winter weather could hang around longer …

BOND … “In some cases, that’s, you know, maybe there’s limited benefits there that winter hangs on well into March, even into April. And, for some interests that can be a problem getting out into the fields and so forth and it’s like, okay we’ve got enough, where’s spring? And so, we’ve seen that plenty where there’s just winter that lasts just that much longer.”

But, Bond says it’s always comes down to water and this winter should leave us with plenty …

BOND … “Overall, good news, of course, for winter sports enthusiasts, for hydro power concerns and, you know, for most the water districts, this is a good thing.”

From the standpoint of a growers water needs, Bond says this should leave everyone with all they need, unless, of course, it doesn’t.