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LaNina weather pattern might end early

An atmospheric scientist says the La Nina weather pattern might end soon.

Eric Snodgrass with Nutrien Ag Solutions says this La Nina might be peaking now which could mean a rapid onset of winter weather and very different conditions that we’ve seen the past two years. “For the last two winters in the upper Midwest, I’ve been waiting on the back half of winter to make up for the deficits of the front half. I don’t think it’s going to be that way this year. I think we’re going to get off to a good start with winter, and I’ll just tell you this, we will have access to plenty of cold air. There’s no doubt about it.”

Snodgrass says right now, weather models point to wetter and more active conditions into December. “And the big thing to be watching is these two factors, one in the Pacific and one in the Indian Ocean. They’re right now just in this perfect synchronization to give us what I think is going to be a storm system every week for the next six, seven weeks.”

Snodgrass says the polar vortex is also weakening. “In strong polar vortex years, we’re not cold. It’s very difficult to get cold, but when it’s weakened and displaced, we have better opportunities to get cold and it’s already out of joint which means I think we just have a recipe for what us meteorologists would call an exciting winter.”

Snodgrass says he’s hoping for several freeze-thaw cycles in December, saying it’s terrible for roads but great for breaking up soil compaction and allowing moisture to stay in soil where it’s needed.

AUDIO: Eric Snodgrass discusses winter weather with Brownfield’s Larry Lee