In this series of blog postings I’ve highlighted some of the different places you can get weather and climate data in the Southeast. Today I highlight FAWN, the Florida Automated Weather Network. FAWN’s home site is https://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/ at the University of Florida.
FAWN is a network of over 40 stations scattered across Florida which collect current information on weather conditions. They provide archived weather and climate information and a variety of tools which are of use to agricultural producers (see list below). I encourage you to visit the site and see all the information provided for those of you who live in or near Florida. You can also subscribe to their feeds on Facebook and Twitter.
Cold Protection
Toolkit
A set of tools for guidance in cold protection practices.
Determining Critical Temperature
Advice from IFAS Extension for determining Critical Freezing Temperatures for plants in Florida.
Minimum Overnight Temperature
Estimates based on the Brunt equation and the air & dew point temperatures at sunset.
Wet-Bulb Based Irrigation Cutoff Temperature
Estimates a safe cuttoff temperature based on the air & dew point temperatures.
Forecast Tracker
Compares NWS forecast to FAWN observations.
Fruit Frost Station Forecast
Links to NWS forecast for Florda Fruit Frost Stations.
Air Temperature Threshold [Accumulated Chill Hours]
Reports hours above or below a given temperature.
FAWN Desktop Widget
Check your latest temperature from your desktop.
Irrigation
New! Your Virtual Lawn Tool
This tool can help you evaluate the effectiveness of your watering plan.
Vegetable Irrigation
Indicates frequency and duration of irrigation events.
Strawberry Irrigation
Indicates frequency and duration of irrigation events.
Evapotranspiration (ET)
Penman-Montieth ET for last 7 days from all FAWN stations.
Citrus Irrigation
Indicates frequency and duration of irrigation events.
Urban Irrigation Scheduler
Operation run times for residential Irrigation controllers.
Home Irrigation Presentation
The Basics of Home Irrigation.
FAWN Fact Sheets
Fact Sheets
From time clock settings to applications rates, FAWN Fact Sheets can help.
FAWN also provides links to climate tools here and on the AgroClimate web site:
Citrus Copper Application Scheduler
Recommendations for scheduling copper applications in citrus groves based on rainfall and fruit growth
Strawberry Advisory System (SAS)
Recommendations for timing fungicide applications for Anthracnose and Botrytis fruit rot
County Yield Database
Crop yield time series and trend lines according to the USDA/NASS database (available for the same crops listed in the regional maps)
Chill Accumulation
Estimate chill accumulation (45°F and specific models for blueberry, strawberry, and peach) at the county level during El Niño, La Niña, and Neutral years.
AgroClimate Tools
Complete list of AgroClimate’s decision aid tools.
