An Iowa State University climatologist says the current El Nino weather pattern is generally providing Iowa with milder temperatures this winter. Elywnn Taylor says it’s also bringing abundant moisture which is causing sub-soil tiles to run at full capacity to drain the state’s farm fields. Taylor says there’s a big drawback for farmers from El Nino.

“It doesn’t take very much rain in April and early May to make things awfully wet for when they’re planting crops,” Taylor says, “and that can be a real disadvantage.” Taylor says a strong El Nino weather pattern, like we have now, is often historically replaced by the opposite La Nina pattern, which brings drought conditions during the summer and fall.

Taylor says first indications of that won’t be apparent until late March when the sun moves into spring position over the Midwest.

(Radio Iowa)