Record-Shattering Cold Threatens Crops

[Demeter]

Source: AccuWeather.com

Record-Shattering Cold Threatens Crops

AccuWeather.com reports:

A brutally cold surge of arctic air into the eastern half of the United States will easily bring record-low temperatures on Easter morning and could cause significant losses in some of the nation's most prolific agricultural areas...

The cold will severely tax peach orchards across Georgia, and strawberry orchards throughout the Southeast. Bitter cold will also be felt throughout the wheat-growing areas of the Midwest and central Plains.
posted by Raymond Weber @ 2:45 PM



Read more: http://www.economicpolicymonitor.com/

[Ignacio Upton]

1. It's April, and yet I've had light snow showers since yesterday

:mad:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. there's no climate change

sure.

[kestrel91316]

3. I don't think the winter wheat crop is going to mind the cold. The fruit,

well...........that's another matter.

[bullimiami]

4. it seemed like fall-winter and now spring were very late this year.

i think they need to look at the totality of the year and not compare month by month to years past.

[robcon]

5. Good time to buy Orange juice futures???

Florida might be hit.

[cliss]

6. Thanks for the (bad) news.

I'm involved in exporting agricultural products to foreign countries. This is super important stuff for us exporters.

And it's not good because it's going to create shortages & upward push on prices.

[htuttle]

7. I think we might lose a lot of trees in the Upper Midwest, too

We had a week or so of really glorious weather -- highs nearly in the 70's, then below freezing. If any of those trees budded enough to lose their 'winter bud-coats', they probably won't be developing many leaves this year.

I sure wish I still had my 'degree days' chart from college ecology class!

[susanna]

13. That's a huge problem, you're right.

Cherries, apples and even grapes in Michigan can have severe distress with such extremes during budding times. Should be interesting (not in a good way).

We had icy, sleet covered sidewalks tonight and Monday it was almost 80 degrees. :-(

[nealmhughes]

8. The peach crop in SC, GA and AL will probably be lost tonight.

Apples, too.

They are in full bud right now. It is forecasted to be 19F on the Tennessee River in Huntsville tonight/tomorrow at sunrise.

It had been over 80 for 2 weeks and over 50F at night.

Now after such a glorious early spring. . .

There is a wheat crop about a quarter of a mile from my house, and I am sure it will be dead Tuesday morning. Guess some short straw will be on the market.

[rodeodance]

9. its been taxing my body here in WI. My tulips ARE limp limp limp . snow today

[Delphinus]

16. Yes,

I think my day lilies are done for. My pear trees haven't yet budded and my blackberries, I hope, are not far enough out to be affected.

[Digital]

10. yep

It's so aggravating when people chuckle and say "so much for global warming"!

Clearly SOMETHING is going on here with all this crazy weather.

[Bicoastal]

11. Ugh, that annnoys me too...

...especially because they're essentially ignoring that the Arctic is in serious trouble right now, and what were receiving in the temperate zone is akin to a cry for help.

But it's not "warming," so HAHA Al Gore! I'm smarter than you!

[yardwork]

12. Welcome to DU, Digital!

Yes, it's clear that the weather patterns are changing.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

14. Digital...

to DU!

[XemaSab]

18. A better term is global climate change

Not all areas will be evenly warmed. Whether it gets warmer or colder in each area on earth, we're evenly screwn.

[FarCenter]

15. Since they don't "make" air in the arctic

The cold air flowing south in North America, must be replaced by warm air flowing north elsewhere. The cold air that has flowed south will be better warmed by the sun in the mid-latitudes. So this weather pattern is consistent with the picture for overall global warming that has the Arctic warming faster than the lower lattitudes.

[ohio2007]

17. Who is "they" ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj-4t9drUlM&mode=related&search=