Long-Range Weather Looks Encouraging For Yakima Basin

Snowpack and reservoir levels are already creating concerns for irrigators in the Yakima Basin.  But it looks like, according to one expert, that Mother Nature will help in other ways this year.  When it comes to the temperatures growers can expect this season, Drew Lerner, Senior Agricultural Meteorologist at World Weather, Inc., said central Washington has the potential for a very good year.

“There should not be any excessive heat, like I said before, I don't see any threat of cold. You’ll notice, I didn't say anything about cold in the western part of the U.S., and I feel very strongly that that you will not have any kind of a threat of crop damaging cold in the Yakima Basin, and for that matter in California or any place in the West.”

From a tree fruit perspective, Lerner noted the Northeast is still of concern from a temperature standpoint, adding some locations back east could see the potential for frost damage into mid-May.

Lerner said soil moisture levels are not a worry across Central Washington at this point.

“The Yakima Basin, the Columbia Basin in general, you know the moisture profile there, even on NASA's chart is non-threatening.  There are some pockets that are a little dry bias, but it doesn't go down very deep into the ground, which is good news,” Lerner added. 

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