FARGO, N.D. — After a volatile couple of years with disruptive weather patterns, farmers and ranchers may find themselves breathing a sigh of relief when it comes to the weather of 2023.
Meteorologist John Baranick was one of the keynote speakers at the North Dakota Grain Dealers Convention, discussing the weather outlook for 2023.

“One of the big things here is La Nina … we’re finally going to get rid of it. So, we’re headed into some neutral positions in the Pacific Ocean right now,” Baranick said. “We may be headed towards an El Nino, by the time we get into the late summer … we’re heading towards what looks to be a normal summer.”
When the sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator between South America and Australia are colder than normal, that is considered a La Nina. When those temperatures are warmer than normal, it's El Nino. Those temperatures near the equator have a large impact on what goes on in terms of weather across the world, he explained.
The region has had its fair share of drought conditions over the past couple of years, but according to Baranick, the snowfall in the area has been offering a decent snow pack.
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However, Baranick fears that the excess snowfall and moisture may set farmers back again this year when it comes time to plant their crops.
“Really it is going to come down to how quickly we can melt off that snow pack," he said. "If we do it too quickly, all at once, that’s no good for anybody. And like last year, when it was really delayed, we didn’t get rid of it until May, even June we were still dealing with some wetness — especially across the Red River Valley. We could have some issues there with planting,” he said.
In the summer months, Baranick predicts regular thunderstorm patterns developing across Montana and the Canadian prairies, then they will move eastward. He worries that this pattern will cause some areas to get hit frequently, while others will get missed.