Snowy Winter, Wet Spring – Time Will Tell

By Elmer Heinrichs

It’s still early in the New Year but it could be a snowy winter and wet spring.

Let’s take a look at the two almanacs. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a brutally cold start to 2023, with temperatures switching to above average in the spring and remaining above average right through the year. It looks to be a wet year with nearly every month showing above-average precipitation.

The Canadian Farmers’ Almanac is calling for average temperatures and above-average snowfall for the remainder of the winter. Spring is predicted to see average temperatures and near- to aboveaverage rainfall. It is calling for summer to be warm and dry, followed by a cool wet fall and early winter.

Moving to the computer models, Environment and Climate Change Canada forecasts for January into June; 4 to 6 months out predict a 40 to 50% probability of above normal precipitation and only a 40 to 50% chance of temperatures moving above average across the Prairies. The US- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is calling for a cooler-than-average start to the year with above-average precipitation. Temperatures will moderate toward average values by spring, with near-average precipitation.

Temperatures will continue to moderate, moving toward slightly above-average values in the summer and early fall.

Precipitation looks to be average to slightly below average during the summer and fall.

Let it snow! You can expect Manitoba to be covered in white during the month of January. Be sure to bundle up when you venture outside, or take the opportunity to enjoy hot cocoa by the fire for warmth this month.

600 pigs vaccinated, 100 died and 400 others had adverse reactions. So the company deployed a team to the region of Vietnam to investigate if the deaths and reactions were indeed due to the vaccine usage and its appropriate inoculation or if something else was impacting these pigs outside of the ASF vaccine.

Dr. Niederwerder said this is concerning because the ASF vaccine has undergone safety and efficacy testing but has undergone field usage for the first time. There- fore, it is essential to look at how the technicians handled the vaccine in the field she said.

“This is a modified live virus vaccine and must remain as live to be effective for protecting the pigs,” said Dr. Niederwerder.

She said they will review the technicians used it in the fashion it gained protocol approval. “How did they handle the vaccine, and the age of the pigs in which they received the vaccine, was there potential for ASF pigs exposure?” she noted.

“Did the pigs die from a wild-type ASF infection versus a reaction or a result of the vaccination?” is another question she has.

She said the big questions are not only for the release and continued use of the vaccine in Vietnam but will others use it in other parts of the world and what is its safety and efficacy in field conditions with large numbers of pigs.

“We will continue to monitor this information and the data as it comes in,” said Dr. Niederwerder.