The latest seasonal outlook data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates La Nina has a 71% chance to emerge between September and November this year, and persist through January and March 2025.

While NOAA’s outlook indicates North Dakota has an equal chance to experience above or below normal temperature and precipitation in this period, Paige Brummund, Ward County NDSU Extension agent, said recent winter forecasts she’s reviewed show the region could be impacted by La Nina, which will bring heavier precipitation and colder temperatures.

Such conditions will be a concern for livestock producers, and Brummund said they are likely preparing their stocks of feed resources to get through the year for extreme snow events .

“So that’s something our livestock producers are always paying attention to those season long forecasts and planning that way. Thankfully the hay crop this year was phenomenal. There was a lot of quantity out there, so hay prices are fairly low right now. It’s a good year to stock up and increase those stockpiles that were kinda depleted during the drought years,” Brummund said.

Pierce County Extension Agent Brenden Klebe agreed there was a lot more hay to be had than in previous drought stricken years, and the majority was high quality grass and alfalfa that will keep the cattle happy and healthy. Klebe said in light of the expected snowfall and colder temperatures it is critical that livestock producers make sure their snow-removal equipment was ready to go and their windbreaks and shelters are up to par.

“It can be really hard on cattle, so it’s important to have shelters and have them in good protected areas so they’re ready if any of those blizzards come along since we know it might not be a mild winter,” Klebe said. “Nothing’s perfect. Earlier this spring, we were hot and dry and ready for another drought, and in a month’s timeframe it turned into a really wet summer. With climate and conditions like that we base them on history, but in North Dakota, Mother Nature is still undefeated against weathermen, not to be too hard on them.”

Brummund said there hasn’t been much of a drought this year in Ward County, with only a few weeks where conditions fell into the abnormally dry category and the northwest part of the county experienced mild drought. Brummund said a majority of the growing season was average or above average.

Pierce County was spared from experiencing drought conditions for most of the growing season, but was negatively impacted somewhat by the excess of rain and diminished amount of growing degree days (GDD). Klebe said the situation has improved somewhat for producers as it has been warmer than usual, but corn planted in May is still 127 GDD behind the five-year average. Klebe indicated his conversations with farmers in Pierce County have grown more optimistic, that while corn is still a little wet, it could require a lot less drying and maintenance after it is harvested.

“At the end of August, our corn growing degree days were so far behind we were like, ‘well, let’s see if we get there or not.’ With the friendly September we’ve caught up quite a bit. At least it won’t be as detrimental to the yield,” Klebe said. “I’ve seen some soybean fields that are ripening up quite a bit. It’s actually quite crazy how much it’s moved along. Once people can get into it, guys will move quite quickly into it.”

Harvest in Ward County was delayed due to the later spring and cooler temperatures.

“There’s still quite a few acres out there to be harvested. Most of the small grains are off or will be coming off this week. We have a good week coming up here that should be dry and fairly warm and breezy – so that will be good harvest conditions,” Brummund said during a September interview.

Brummund said canola was about half way through being harvested, but that late season crops like soybeans, corn and sunflowers might take some time before they are ready.

“We had a lot of wind early in the season and that caused some issues in the spring with needing to be replanted on certain fields. We did have hail. Thankfully it was spottier and small strips or regions. So there are regions of the county where you’d have stretches for a mile or two that were completely leveled by hail or wiped out. Thankfully it wasn’t countywide, but it was hit or miss. There were hail pockets,” Brummund said.