Pam Knox
-
With just a couple of days left to go in the month, it looks like May 2022 will end up warmer than normal over nearly all of the region. This is true of both daytime highs and overnight lows. Precipitation was quite variable across the region, with some areas (especially the Southern Appalachians and the…
Posted in: Climate summaries -
Here are some recent stories of interest that I have seen over the last few weeks. You might enjoy reading them, too. Modern Farmer: High Winds Are Rattling US Farmers This Spring Time: Wheat Crops Almost Everywhere Are Coming Under Threat From Extreme Weather The Conversation: Bad news for the 2022 hurricane season: The Loop…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
The latest 7-day QPF map shows that most of the region will see relatively light rainfall this week. In a few areas, there may be no rain at all. The exception is the southern end of the Florida peninsula, which could see copious rain if Tropical Storm Agatha, now in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, crosses…
Posted in: Climate outlooks -
The impact the March 13 freeze event had on Georgia’s blueberry crop might be worse than expected, according to a recent article by Clint Thompson in Specialty Crop Industry. According to the article, the lingering effects of the freeze include diseases as well as fruit quality issues. Estimates were that 54 million pounds of blueberries…
-
A new study by Emory University scientists shows that by 2100, the Corn Belt may be unsuitable for cultivating corn without significant technological advances. Environmental Research Letters published the research, which adds to the evidence that significant agricultural adaptation will be necessary and inevitable in the Central and Eastern United States. It was already known…
-
After a shift in the weather pattern, we are now back in conditions that are more conducive to rain. Most of us are quite glad to see it after our dry spell! One of the results in this change is that recent rainfall has cut back on the amount of abnormally dry (D0) and moderate…
Posted in: Drought -
You may have heard the phrases “global warming” and “climate change” interchangeably when talking about the earth’s recent warming due to the effects of increasing greenhouse gases. But they are really distinct ideas. This article from Ecocentricity describes the history of the two concepts and how they differ. The bottom line: “Global warming is a…