Weather Outlook To Be Discussed At MonDak Ag Days

Patrick Gilchrist, National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist, Glasgow, will be discussing the 2022 weather outlook at 10 a.m. MT, Thursday, March 3 at Richland County Event Center during MonDak Ag Days.

He will look into the ongoing drought over the past 12 plus months, the current situation (snowpack, etc) and what the short term, medium term, and long term outlooks tell producers about what the future might bring. 

This past year has been one of the driest on record; the drought was exceptionally hard on farmers, in the area. It has been devastating across the board, with not enough moisture to sustain crops to create a desirable crop yield.

"Honestly there hasn't been a lot to feel good about weather over the past year. Mother Nature has been pretty tough on the MonDak Region. However, there looks to be some bits of cautious optimism on the horizon, although there aren't any drought busters in the near future," he said.

Gilchrist has worked for the National Weather Service for 22 years. Born and raised in Glasgow, he graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2001 with a degree in atmospheric science. After getting his start with the NWS in Missoula, MT he had the opportunity to return home to Glasgow in 2007.

"In addition to leading the office outreach and preparedness efforts, I also serve as an Incident Meteorologist, providing on scene weather support to large wildfires. In my spare time I enjoy traveling, boating, and spending time with my wife and three daughters," said Gilchrist.

The NWS in Glasgow does recorded drought and climate briefings on a monthly basis (usually around the third Thursday of the month). The briefings can be found on our Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook pages.