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The latest 7-day QPF shows that little rain is expected for the Southeast in the next week. The only exception is very far southern Florida and the area right along the East Coast. By comparison, look at the Pacific Northwest, where amounts of more than 20 inches are expected in some locations. Where would you…
Posted in: Climate outlooks -
The Packer reported today that Florida’s strawberry harvest began this year in early November, considerably earlier than its usual start in late November. This is due in large part to the unusually warm temperatures that were seen in October and November, hastening the ripening of the berries and allowing growers to start picking sooner than…
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This is the International Year of Soils. A number of stories have been written about the importance of healthy soils in stabilizing climate and improving yields of crops. University of Tennessee at Knoxville scientists recently released a study showing that the soil in the region encompassing the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s is still degraded,…
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Now that we are getting into the colder months, you can expect to see more atmospheric optical effects related to ice crystals high up in the sky, although it’s so cold up there that some of them can occur any time of year. One of the most common and spectacular of these is the halo,…
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Have you ever planned an event or meeting and then worried about the impact of weather on whether or not you might have to cancel it? I’ve had to cancel workshops at the last minute due to ice storms in the past, and it is always tough to make the call in enough time to…
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Modern Farmer reported this week that recent studies of the effectiveness of permethrin, a pesticide commonly used to combat mosquitoes, is less effective in warmer conditions than expected. This has implications for future summers, since trends towards warmer temperatures are likely to make conditions in the Southeast and elsewhere more favorable for longer mosquito seasons…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
US Department of Agriculture Secretary Vilsack posted a new blog entry to the USDA web site this week. In it he discusses the challenges and opportunities agricultural producers have in feeding a growing number of people on earth in the future. As you might expect, farmer, ranchers and foresters play a critical role in producing…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news