Fire, flooding rains and USA crops.

April 21, 2017

...Last year's high wheat yield (click here) and low wheat prices have some growers looking at other crops, such as soybeans and corn, for the year. "I drove across the southern tier of (Kansas) counties, and saw a lot of wheat being grazed out. Crops being bailed for hay. And some being sprayed, terminating the crop, which are all indications that farmers may be changing crops," said Romulo Lollato, Kansas State University Extension forage specialist.

Total 2017/18 seedings of winter, other spring, and durum wheat for the 2017/18 marketing year, were reported in the NASS Prospective Plantings at just 46.1 million acres, which is 4.1 million acres smaller than the previous year's plantings. Winter wheat seedings are expected to be 3.4 million acres smaller than for the current marketing year, with durum and other spring planted area down 400,000 and 297,000 acres, respectively....

April 18, 2017

By Bob Burgdorfer

...Corn planting increased to 6% this week, (click here) which was short of trade forecasts and behind the 12% pace a year ago and the 9% average, as rain in the Midwest slowed progress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday.

Corn planting was behind the average paces throughout the Midwest, with Illinois at 6% versus the 13% average, Iowa at 2% versus 4% and Indiana at 4% versus 6%....

...“Corn planting has been limited as producers have been patiently waiting for warmer and drier soil conditions,” the Iowa report said....

...Iowa corn was 2% planted versus 11% a year ago and the 4% average, Illinois was at 6% versus 11% a year ago and the 13% average and Nebraska was at 3% versus 6% a year ago and the 3% average.

Illinois had 2.8 days suitable for fieldwork, and Nebraska had 4.8 days....

Grain: World Markets and Trade (click here)
By USDA

Global wheat production, already at a record, is raised slightly this month mainly on a larger crop in Pakistan. Global consumption is lowered mainly on reduced U.S. feed and residual use as implied by the latest Grain Stocks report from NASS. Consequently, global stocks, which were already forecast at a record high, are raised further. Global trade is lowered marginally, but remains a record. The U.S. season-average farm price is unchanged at $3.85 per bushel....

This movement of tanks is not an exercise.

There is no Congressional vote for war. I am fairly sure these tanks are headed to the Middle East. I saw one article yesterday about an exchange of fire between Assad's forces and Israel.

April 20, 2017
By Peter Truman

A train packed with tanks and military equipment (click here) has been spotted moving in America sparking rumours President Trump is gearing up for a ground war....

President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu are on the brink of a summit at the same time there is a "Jewish-Arab Settlement" being built in the West Bank. I can't imagine an escalation in a war profile with or without the USA is conducive to a summit.

April 22, 2017

Three Syrian mortar shells (click here) exploded in the Israeli Golan Heights on Friday, causing no damage. 

The Israeli army attacked the positions from which the mortar shells were fired in the Syrian Golan Heights, the army said in a statement.

The first mortar shell fell around 5 P.M. near the Syrian border, and about an hour later a rocket siren was sounded in the area, followed shortly by two more mortar shells.

The Israeli army said it was likely that the fire was not intentional, but was spillover from the Syrian civil war....

April 22, 2017

Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's army said Friday (click here) it had targeted positions inside Syria in retaliation for mortar fire that hit the northern part of the Golan Heights.
"The Israeli army targeted the source of the fire," an army statement said without giving further details.
An army spokeswoman told AFP she was unable to elaborate on how Israel retaliated or to identify any targets that were hit.
Syria's official news agency SANA said Israel had struck a Syrian army position in the province of Quneitra on the Golan plateau, "causing damage"....

If the tank movement is not the Middle East then it would be near border wars. These same tanks were filmed last year being delivered to Fort Hood. 

April 22, 2017
By Chris Tomson

Damascus, Syria (2:20 A.M.) – On Friday evening, (click here) an armed Israeli drone conducted a cross-border airstrike from the occupied Golan Heights, targeting an artillery position held by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the province of Quneitra.

The Israeli drone strike was reportedly retaliation after two Syrian 2 mortar shells landed near positions controlled by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in northern Golan.

According to an Al-Masdar News source, a SAA artillery unit came under drone fire at the village of Abu Al-Nada; fortunately for the Syrian government soldiers, the Israeli aerial attack did not result in any casualties and only minor material damage....

Earth Day 2017

Google's doodle (click here) for Earth Day sends a pertinent message about climate change as scientists and others gear up for the March for Science on Saturday....

...a sleeping fox that has a nightmare about the consequences of climate change...

The time lapse is astounding. Growing urbanization while melting glaciers retreat their terminus. At 2:16 river processes show how flooding will cause changes in the location of land to live on or have available for agriculture. And, of course, several examples of drought.

Arlene hasn't gone anywhere and has accumulated more water vapor.

April 22, 2017

1230.18z 

UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of North and West Hemisphere (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)

There is a frigid air mass across most of the USA and even into Mexico.The eastern coastal areas are warm below Pennsylvania or the 41st latitude.

The milibars have been consistently dropping for the past three days. As much as I would like this storm to dissipate, I don't believe it will, especially considering the Gulf Stream, too.

It also move four degrees west in six hours. There is an airmass entering from the west coast providing enormous pressure to move other systems to the east, however, it is during that same push, Arlene move west and north. Definitively.

Date: 19-21 APR 2017

Tropical Storm ARLENE
ADV  LAT    LON      TIME     WIND  PR  STAT
  1  31.90  -40.90 04/19/12Z   30   995 SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION
  2  32.40  -40.00 04/19/18Z   30   996 SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION
  3  33.20  -39.30 04/20/00Z   30   996 SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION
  4  34.40  -39.30 04/20/06Z   30   996 SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION
  5  36.10  -40.00 04/20/12Z   30   996 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
  6  37.70  -42.00 04/20/18Z   40   993 TROPICAL STORM
  7  39.40  -44.20 04/21/00Z   45   993 TROPICAL STORM
  8  40.00  -48.00 04/21/06Z   45   993 TROPICAL STORM

April 22, 2017

1330.18z

UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)

Given the growing strength of the tropical storm, it will incorporate the air mass currently moving offshore North America and realize some open ocean to proceed further toward the USA at higher than 'normal' altitudes. It is possible outcome and I can't ignore it.

It is a push me-pull you system. The west coast storm is pushing and the east coast tropical storm is pulling. When the water vapor currently over Kentucky and Tennessee reach the tropical storm, it will accelerate, drop it's central pressure and become a stronger storm.

It is the way I see it. 

The Taliban attack is not a success regardless the number. The Taliban choose the most vulnerable unarmed soldiers during prayers, their most vulnerable time. It was in retaliation for the USA bomb strike to destroy tunnels.

Every soldier should be armed from the time they are enlisted.

Regardless of the lack of Americans killed, this was a Green On Blue Attack. There were spies and traitors within the ranks. I find it interesting the media knows there were four traitors in the ranks immediately after the attack, but, not before.