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Reuters news service reported yesterday that desertification is affecting about a fourth of India’s land. Agricultural lands are becoming degraded and threatening food security in this highly populated country. The main causes of the desertification are overgrazing and heavy land use coupled with changes in rainfall over time. Some of the areas most affected are…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
Yesterday’s USDA Agricultural Weather Highlights mentioned that much of the Eastern US is under the influence of the Bermuda High, which is continuing to cause hotter and more humid conditions than usual. What is the Bermuda High and how does it affect the weather and climate of the Southeast? A simple explanation is provided by…
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The State Climate Office of North Carolina posted a new blog entry today which describes four ways that weather affects plant growth by guest blogger Dr. Mike Yoder of the Animal Sciences Department of NCSU. This is a great overview of the ways in which crop growth, diseases and pests are affected by environmental conditions.…
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David Zierden, the Florida State Climatologist, sent along this note on yellow flies in the Southeast: Folks who frequent or work outside close to wooded areas in Florida and the Southeast in the summer are familiar with yellow flies. What we call “yellow flies” often refers to several different species including deer flies, true yellow…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
The CoCoRaHS network celebrated a milestone today, passing its 16th anniversary since it was started in Colorado. This volunteer network of precipitation observers has spread across the country and has included Georgia for the last six years as well as other states in the Southeast. CoCoRaHS stands for Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow Network. …
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The five-day forecast for precipitation in the Southeast shows most areas receiving some scattered rainfall but less than the normal amount except for south Florida and near the Gulf Coast. Showers will be hit or miss, and temperatures should be normal to slightly above due to the lack of cloud cover associated with rain showers. …
Posted in: Climate outlooks -
An article in AgWeb newsletter on June 11 discussed the possibility of an early frost this year due to increased volcanic activity this year compared to previous years. This long-range forecast was made by Simon Atkins, CEO of Advanced Forecasting Corporation. You can read the article by clicking here. Does volcanic activity lead to early…