The Japanese Meteorological Agency says Roke has stalled because three high pressure systems in the east, west and north are blocking its path.
The problem is that Roke is stalled over warm water near Okinawa. The high water temps could help it become a Typhoon. Japanese weather officials say Roke could be stalled near Okinawa for three days.
An outbreak of e.coli in the water at Sandy Point Beach, at the Lucky Peak State Park in Idaho, could be caused by colder than normal weather.
Officials with Parks and Recreation think cold weather delayed the circulation of water through the swimming area.
Because winter like conditions lasted well into spring, the Army Corps of Engineers were not able to create the usual lagoon current, that normally flushes out the swimming area. The result is that officials suspect geese droppings built up in the water, resulting in high levels of e.coli.
The swimming area is now being flushed.
“We still have quite a few cherries (in this year’s crop), but it’s down from what I normally see. Maybe two-thirds of what we had last year.”-Paul Pinard, cherry farmer Emmett, Idaho
Because of a lack of global warming in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, there are going to be a lot fewer cherries, and a lot later. The cooler than normal weather is affecting the $573 million cherry market.
Chubbuck, Idaho, July 2, 2011
Last year, in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Utah, as many as 7 million boxes of cherries were packed. This year the commercial cherry farmers will be lucky to get 2 million.
On top of that, cherry picking season ends in June, but not this year, many cherries aren’t even ready.
I can vouch for that. I have a cherry tree, and I’ve been wondering what the heck is going on. Not only have the cherries not fully developed, but they’re shriveling and dying. Normally, by the end of May I’m swamped with too many cherries for me and my kids to eat, but this year…it looks like nothing.
Chubbuck, Idaho, July 2, 2011
Another factor in driving up prices for cherries, is that demand is up.
But it’s not just Cherries that are being negatively affected. The asparagus picking started late, and northwest growers associations are reporting delays in melons, peaches and corn.
So even if you try to grow your own, to keep from paying higher prices at he store, Mother Earth just won’t let it happen.
Coca Cola will raise prices at least 3 to 5% in July. They raised prices 2% earlier this year.
They blame the rising costs of resources, due to speculators playing the commodities markets. They also blame the cost of transportation due to high fuel prices.
In China, Coca Cola bottlers will use smaller bottles. Hangzhou bottler already changed its 600 milliliter packages to 500 milliliters in May, but charges the same price.
Industry analysts say the inflation in commodity prices has to be passed on to consumers sooner or later. A month before Coca Cola’s price rise announcement, Smuckers raised prices on its coffee products. Eventually consumers will see more price rises across the food market.
A big factor for commodity price increases is the bad weather most of the United States is experiencing. Cooler, wetter than normal weather in the north west. Massive flooding in the plain states, and mid west. Hotter weather in the east. All these weather extremes are resulting in less crop production. Less crops on the markets will drive the price up.
According to surveyors from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, June 1 had Idaho breaking record snowpack levels. Normally most of Idaho’s mountain snowpack melts off by the end of May. This year’s cold wet spring has delayed that, and actually added to some the mountain snowpacks.
In eastern Idaho, Two Ocean Plateau’s snowpack is at 113% of peak average, as of June 28. What global warming?
The concern now is that temperatures are finally warming up to what is normal for the time of the year, which means all that snow is gonna melt and just continue the flooding that’s already taking place.
The same is true of snowpacks in the Rockies, and other western U.S. mountain ranges. This is why officials have warned the flooding from the Missouri River could last through the month of August.
It’s June 11, and potato farmers in Ashton, and Driggs, Idaho, have been hoping for warmer, dryer weather. They can’t plant potatoes in wet, cold ground: “This season has been especially hard because every time we are about to get into the fields for a couple days it rains us out. It takes sometimes five to 10 days to dry up in good enough shape in preparation for planting.”-Dennis Fransen, potato seed farmer
Potato seed farmers are at the bottom of the potato farming chain. Commercial potato farmers rely on the seed farmers for their new crop. Bigger potatoes are sent to the commercial farmers to grow even bigger. The small potatoes are kept for ‘seed’ for the next planting. This year, because of the wet, cool weather it looks like most of the seed crop will be the small type, that commercial farmers don’t want.
“Every time we tried to schedule something, we had a storm come through. With the temperature and the moisture, you just can’t do it.”-James Orner, Idaho Transportation Department
Temperatures are finally warming up in eastern Idaho, and ITD officials hope to get ongoing road construction finished, and start new ones.
But just as the weather is warming up for ITD, funding is running out: “In the next few years, we’re going to see a rapid decline in the amount of construction that’s going to be available because there’s less funding available. With gas prices going up, people are driving less, and it’s affecting our revenues.”-Corey Krantz, Idaho Transportation Department
Funding for ITD comes, in part, from state gas taxes.