Climate and Ag in the news
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I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the comment that “meteorologists are the only people who get paid for making bad forecasts”. In fact, most meteorologists are pretty good at making weather forecasts, so good, in fact, that you probably don’t even notice their skill. It’s the few tough forecasts that they…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
The Tampa Bay Times reported this week that a large number of dead trees remaining on the ground following Hurricane Michael last year contributed to the spread of a wildfire near Panama City to almost 600 acres. Authorities note that because there is so much dead vegetation on the ground this year after the storm…
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An article earlier this week in Fruit Growers News noted that peaches in South Carolina had dodged a bullet in the recent cold snap and were doing OK so far with mostly some light thinning. But the weather tonight could bring more potentially damaging cold air into the region, and it is still a few…
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The strong low pressure system that caused so much damage to the central US had hurricane-force winds associated with it along with the snow and rain that led to massive flooding in northeastern Nebraska and surrounding areas. Normally high tunnel structures are not built strongly enough to survive those kinds of winds. But this article…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
The Cahokia Mounds outside St. Louis are the remains of one of North America’s largest indigenous population. Many archaeologists estimate that at its peak around the year 1100, Cahokia housed 10,000 to 20,000 people, with up to 50,000 inhabitants living in the surrounding area—a population size rivalling or surpassing concurrent European cities. But archaeologists are…
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No one doubts that small farmers in the US are facing an unprecedented attack from many sides, including tariffs, international competition, overproduction and low commodity costs. The New Republic published an article this week discussing the role of weather and changing climate in putting stress on small farmers by increasing variability and extreme weather, leading…
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At the end of every season, NOAA provides an overview of what they got right and wrong with the seasonal outlook. This year they did not do well with the temperature forecast, especially in the northern US. Precipitation was a little better, especially in the southern regions of the US. You can read more about…