OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – With below average precipitation throughout the region in recent weeks, farmers are paying close attention to the weather outlook ahead.
“We just haven’t been getting the snowfall and the snowpack that’s expected, especially in Northeastern Wisconsin,” said Chris Clark, who is part of the Nutrient and Pest Management Team for the University of Wisconsin Extension.
Clark says farmers like to see around four to six inches of snow pack through the winter months, starting in late November. “That’s really good, because it’s just like you and I wearing a jacket,” Clark said. “It insulates the crops.”
Farmers say they’ve noticed their swampy areas, creeks and ponds are lacking moisture or have lower water levels than usual. And with below average snow totals for this time of year, snowmelt won’t provide much moisture-rich soil heading into spring.
“We were really wet last spring and we had a good late snowfall that saturated into the ground,” Clark explained. “This year, if we don’t get some of those spring weather events, the farmers are not starting with that bank of moisture like we had last year.”
Clark says there are gaps within the state that lack specific weather information, including rain and snow accumulation. This can lead to challenges when it comes to drawing the maps for the drought monitor.
“There’s a group of citizen scientists that are called CoCoRaHS. It’s the community of hail and rain observation, and it’s really simple to become a part of this,” Clark said. “They do require you to use an official rain gauge that creates consistency between all of the observers.”
We’ll have to wait and see if the upcoming weeks provide an adequate amount of precipitation for farmers ahead of the growing season.
Comments