Coming Cold Shots Could Affect Winter Wheat
After a temperature rebound through the middle of the week, look for invasions of chilly weather to roll across the Plains starting this weekend that may make additional visits into the end of the month.
The latest indications are that winter will bounce back over much of the eastern two-thirds of the nation during the next two weeks with cold storms and below normal temperatures.
Winter wheat is especially vulnerable to temperatures swings in the lower 30s during its emerging stage of development.
Photo of maturing wheat by Photos.com.
Winter wheat is now greening up over northern Texas and part of Oklahoma. In parts of the northern Plains, the crop is still buried under snow and ice and may soon be inundated by flood waters.
The storm system rolling through into Tuesday is delivering soaking rain, wet snow and plenty of moisture for cotton growing areas in West Texas.
Close to 20 percent of the nation's cotton crop lies over the northwest part of the Lone Star State.
This rain and other storms from this past winter have left plenty of moisture in the ground for the crop and others to thrive. However, too much of a good thing may not be good.
Rainfall on the order of 0.50 to 1.50 inches, on average will fall from this storm as it pushes to the south and east across Texas into Tuesday.
A storm that gets going this weekend could put down heavy snow and rain in parts of the Plains and Midwest, while driving cold air well to the south.
According to AccuWeather.com long range expert Joe Bastardi, wintry episodes are expected to break off during the first or second week of April.
Whether flooding problems continue well beyond that point is uncertain at this time.
If the current wet conditions hold on, there could be negative impact and some soil preparation work for crops in general over parts of the Plains, Midwest and South this spring.
It is still way too early to determine any impacts on corn planting this year.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 82° | Gila Bend, AZ |
| Low | -13° | Clayton Lake, ME |
| Precip | 1.24" | Spanish Fork, UT |
WeatherWhys®
The "Dead of Winter," the one-month period when normal temperatures reach their lowest levels, has come to an end for much of the United States. Some people may find it odd that the "Dead of Winter" does not encompass the darkest day of the year (the first day of winter). That is due to a seasonal lag in temperatures. More heat continues to be lost than is gained from the start of winter until this time of year.
This Day In Weather History
Gulf Coast 1 (899)
ry cold morning along Gulf Coast; New Orleans 6.8 deg.; Mobile -1 deg.; Pensacola 7 deg.; Tallahassee -2 deg (All time record for Florida. Brownsville 12 deg. (all time low).
North Dakota 1 (936)
this date the mercury plummeted to -60 deg. at Parshall, ND - the coldest temperature ever for the State of ND. Later the same year, the mercury soared to 121 deg. at Steele, ND - the hottest temperature ever for the state of ND.
Rough Weather
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