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SPC MD 884

1 year 2 months ago

MD 0884 CONCERNING TORNADO WATCH 283... FOR EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Mesoscale Discussion 0884 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1039 PM CDT Tue May 21 2024 Areas affected...east central Oklahoma into central Arkansas Concerning...Tornado Watch 283... Valid 220339Z - 220545Z The severe weather threat for Tornado Watch 283 continues. SUMMARY...Isolated supercell thunderstorm development persists and may continue to spread eastward across and east the Mississippi River through 06-07Z. These may pose a risk for severe hail and locally strong gusts. The potential for tornadoes may now be low enough that a new severe weather watch does not appear needed, but trends will continue to be monitored. DISCUSSION...Ahead of a cold front advancing southeastward across the Ozark Plateau, isolated supercell development is being maintained near the southern periphery of broad mid-level troughing still slowly progressing to the east of the southern Rockies. Forcing for ascent is being aided by weak low-level warm advection near the nose of an increasingly suppressed plume of elevated mixed-layer air, where steep lapse rates are contributing to CAPE up to around 3000 J/kg. Deep-layer mean flow on the order of 40-50 kt remains strongly sheared as it has taken on an increasingly westerly component in the wake of the primary short wave trough shifting through the Upper Midwest. It is possible pre-frontal low-level moistening and destabilization could support the continued eastward spread of ongoing storms into/through portions of the Mid South by 06-07Z. ..Kerr.. 05/22/2024 ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product... ATTN...WFO...MEG...LZK...TSA... LAT...LON 35599490 35449278 35628960 34529050 34549385 34769543 35599490 Read more

Overall crawfish production in Louisiana down 50% to 90%

Drought

1 year 2 months ago

The 2024 crawfish harvest in Louisiana has been down 50% to 90% across the state after heat, drought and a January freeze killed many of the mudbugs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved emergency financial relief for crawfish farmers and fishermen. Some producers didn’t have enough water to flood their fields, or the water was too salty to use. Next year’s crawfish harvest will also be affected by the hardships of this year. The Ag center estimated the potential losses to be about $140 million to the state's $230 million a year crawfish industry. The crawfish add $500 million to Louisiana's economy and employ about 7,000 people. FOX Weather (New York), May 22, 2024 Average crawfish production in Louisiana has been about 10% of normal, according to the southwest area agent for Louisiana State University Extension, who spoke with many farmers and buyers. That figure includes the ponds where no crawfish were caught to ponds with a harvest of 20% to 25% of normal. Even in Southwest Louisiana, the heart of the crawfish producing area, the average was only 10% to 15% of normal. In a normal year, Louisiana has about 374,000 acres on which crawfish are farmed. Roughly 50,000 acres were not able to be flooded for lack of water in canals and saltwater intrusion into the coastal parishes. On top of that, another 50,000 to 80,000 acres were not yielding enough crawfish to make it worth the cost of trying to catch them. Crawfish prices typically decrease in the spring as catches increase in size, but this year, crawfish availability has not increased. Crawfish sales prices have simply followed the usual trend. Farm Progress (St. Charles, Ill.), March 22, 2024