Ice road in Casper, WY 0 Hi, -20 Low yesterday:
Where did winter go? Wyoming. It’s still February!
Record Warmth On Tuesday, Accelerated Growing Degree Day Accumulation
Growing Degree Days are a measurement of the growth and development of plants and insects during the growing season. Development does not occur at this time unless the temperature is above a minimum threshold value (base temperature). The base temperature varies for different organisms. It is determined through research and experimentation. The actual temperature experienced by an organism is influenced by several factors. These factors affect growth and development. For instance, depending on the weather, an organism’s temperature may be a few degrees more or less than that recorded. An organism may spend its time in the shade or under direct sunlight. The fertility and nutrient content of the soil directly affect the growth rate of insects and plants. The presence of weeds and precipitation may indirectly influence development. Due to these factors and some other scientific considerations, a base temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit is considered acceptable for all plants and insects.
Record Warmth and Flooding Rains
Flooding is already widespread in the Ohio valley and soils are saturated. In the coming days, tremendous rainfall amounts are likely on top of already saturated soils. Considerably more flooding is likely and some areas, especially southwest of Cincinnati, could see historic flooding. Over 4 inches of rain is projected in Cincinnati over the next 5 days.
Additionally, Tuesday was exceptionally warm in the Ohio valley, threatening to send plants surging into spring mode much too early. The temperature at Cincinnati reached 79 degrees F. That breaks the all time record high temperature for the entire month of February of 78 degrees set just last year in 2017.