Farmers and ranchers rely on atmospheric science to prepare for their next growing season.
Scientists say South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers can expect multiple storms and drought in the forecast next year.
Eric Snodgrass is an Atmospheric Scientist. He said it may surprise some where rain in the state originates.
“The vast majority of any precipitation that falls in South Dakota, evaporated off of the Gulf of Mexico. Your saying, ‘no, no, no, doesn’t it come from the pacific?’ No. It doesn’t comeA from the pacific. The mountains in the west, the cascades of the Sierra, the Rockies, take all of that. What you get is moisture from there,” said Snodgrass.
He said the Midwest is geographically designed to produce crops due to not having East to West running mountain chains.
Snodgrass said farmers should be concerned about potential severe storms in 2025 due to the increase of weather events in 2024.
“ We had 24,000 separate reports of severe weather this year. We had four million acres hit by one-inch diameter hail or larger. We had 1,700 tornados. This is the second busiest serve weather season on record,” said Snodgrass.
Snodgrass said the National Weather Service conducted a 126-year study that found Rapid City has the least predictable weather in the United States.
He offered his prediction for how the upcoming winter season will affect the state’s crop production.
“The problem is that drought never breaks in the Dakotas in winter. You know why? Your soil freezes, locks the moister in, and most of the snow that falls on top of it evaporates or sublimates and you can’t use it. That’s why I want an April 4th blizzard not a January 4th blizzard, April 4. April 4th, you get the melt water and its useful and we need it," said Snodgrass.
Snodgrass said he’s worried about the drought going into next year.
