Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- March 24, 2009
Winter near-misses contribute to dry spring, low water levels (:48)
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Suggested Intro:
UNUSUAL WINTER WEATHER PATTERNS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO AN UNUSUALLY DRY SPRING IN PENNSYLVANIA. AND A WATER EXPERT IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES EXPLAINS THAT TODAY'S WEATHER COULD POINT TO FUTURE PROBLEMS. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:
Story:
(:17) WHILE WINTER BROUGHT SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TO MUCH OF THE NORTHEAST, SEVERAL BIG SNOW STORMS MANAGED TO JUST MISS PENNSYLVANIA, REDUCING THE MOUNTAIN SNOWPACKS THAT REPLENISH THE STATE'S GROUNDWATER. SO, SAYS PENN STATE WATER RESOURCES EXTENSION SPECIALIST BRYAN SWISTOCK, OUR CURRENT DRY SPRING COULD LEAD TO WATER SUPPLY PROBLEMS LATER IN THE SEASON:
Swistock Actuality:
(:18) "TRADITIONALLY, SPRINGTIME IS WHEN OUR GROUNDWATER LEVELS ARE AT THEIR PEAKS, SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN PROBLEMS YET. BUT THEY ARE BELOW WHERE WE WOULD NORMALLY SEE THEM AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. THEY TEND TO DECLINE PRETTY STEADILY FROM NOW UNTIL FALL. AND SO, IF WE CONTINUE THAT STEADY DECLINE, LATE SUMMER/FALL IS WHEN YOU CAN RUN INTO PROBLEMS."(:09) SWISTOCK SAYS WHILE NO PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES ARE UNDER A DROUGHT WATCH OR WARNING, SEVERAL ARE UP TO SIX INCHES BELOW THEIR NORMAL PRECIPITATION LEVELS FOR THE YEAR. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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