Month: April 2012

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Frost Damage to Corn

There is an excellent article in the integrated pest management Bulletin at the University of Illinois by Emerson Nafziger about the damage of frost to corn this April and it’s impact on yield. You can read the full article at http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1619 

Here are the low temperatures reported last week, sorted from coldest to not so coldest. 

Station Name Low Temp(°F) Month/Day
PAXTON 20 11-Apr
CHAMPAIGN 9 SW 21 11-Apr
PAW PAW  23 11-Apr
JERSEYVILLE 2 SW 23 17-Apr
MT CARROLL 24 11-Apr
SIDELL 5 NW  24 11-Apr
WATSEKA 2 NW 24 11-Apr
LISLE-MORTON ARBORETUM 25 11-Apr
SHABBONA 5 NNE 25 10-Apr
ALTONA 25 11-Apr
MONMOUTH 4 NW  25 11-Apr
NORMAL 4NE 25 11-Apr
CONGERVILLE 2 NW 25 11-Apr
NORMAL 4NE 25 11-Apr
PERRY 6 NW 25 12-Apr
GALENA 26 11-Apr
STOCKTON 3 NNE 26 11-Apr
MARSEILLES LOCK  26 11-Apr
LA HARPE 26 11-Apr
PRINCEVILLE 2W 26 11-Apr
DWIGHT 26 11-Apr
HOOPESTON 1 NE 26 11-Apr
NEOGA 4NW  26 11-Apr
SULLIVAN 26 11-Apr
ELIZABETH  27 11-Apr
KEWANEE 1 E  27 12-Apr
ROCKFORD GTR ROCKFORD AP 27 11-Apr
DE KALB  27 11-Apr
MCHENRY STRATTON L&D 27 11-Apr
MUNDELEIN 4 WSW  27 11-Apr
BENTLEY  27 12-Apr
GALESBURG  27 11-Apr
PRAIRIE CITY 2S  27 11-Apr
CHENOA 27 11-Apr
DANVILLE 27 11-Apr
EFFINGHAM  27 11-Apr
NEWTON 27 11-Apr
PARIS WTR WKS  27 11-Apr
TUSCOLA  27 11-Apr
WINDSOR  27 12-Apr
FREEPORT WWP 28 11-Apr
HENNEPIN 28 12-Apr
MOLINE QUAD CITY INTL AP 28 12-Apr
ROCHELLE 28 11-Apr
ROCHELLE 28 11-Apr
BARRINGTON 3 SW  28 11-Apr
ELGIN  28 11-Apr
MARENGO  28 11-Apr
MORRIS 28 11-Apr
KNOXVILLE  28 11-Apr
BLOOMINGTON 5W 28 11-Apr
DECATUR  28 11-Apr
MINONK 28 11-Apr
OGDEN  28 12-Apr
PONTIAC  28 11-Apr
CARLINVILLE  28 11-Apr
MORRISONVILLE  28 11-Apr
SPRINGFIELD CAPITAL AP 28 11-Apr
CHARLESTON 28 11-Apr
PALESTINE 2W 28 11-Apr
RAMSEY 28 11-Apr
ROBINSON 28 11-Apr
SHELBYVILLE DAM  28 11-Apr
ALEDO  29 11-Apr
CHICAGO BOTANICAL GARDEN 29 11-Apr
OTTAWA 29 11-Apr
ROMEOVILLE LEWIS UNIV AP 29 11-Apr
QUINCY RGNL AP 29 11-Apr
RUSHVILLE  29 11-Apr
URBANA 29 11-Apr
GRIGGSVILLE  29 13-Apr
PITTSFIELD #2  29 12-Apr
SPRINGFIELD #2 29 11-Apr
WHITE HALL 1 E 29 12-Apr
WINCHESTER 29 11-Apr
HIDALGO 3SW  29 11-Apr
PANA 29 11-Apr
MT VERNON 3 NE 29 12-A
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GENESEO  30 11-Apr
NEW BOSTON DAM 17  30 13-Apr
AURORA 30 11-Apr
JOLIET BRANDON RD DM 30 11-Apr
LITTLE RED SCHOOL HSE  30 11-Apr
PARK FOREST  30 11-Apr
PEORIA GTR PEORIA AP 30 11-Apr
FISHER 30 11-Apr
RANTOUL  30 11-Apr
JACKSONVILLE 2 E 30 12-Apr
OLNEY 2S 30 11-Apr
TRIMBLE 1E 30 11-Apr
VANDALIA 30 11-Apr
CARBONDALE SEWAGE PLT  30 12-Apr
SPARTA 30 11-Apr
FAIRFIELD RADIO WFIW 30 12-Apr
ILLINOIS CITY DAM 16 31 12-Apr
CHANNAHON DRESDEN ISLAND 31 12-Apr
CHICAGO MIDWAY AP  31 11-Apr
CHICAGO MIDWAY AP 3 SW 31 11-Apr
KANKAKEE METRO WWTP  31 11-Apr
FLORA  31 12-Apr
IUKA 31 11-Apr
BELLEVILLE SIU RSRCH 31 12-Apr
DU QUOIN 4 SE  31 12-Apr
ROCK ISLAND L&D 15 32 11-Apr
ROCK ISLAND L&D 15 32 11-Apr
CHICAGO OHARE INTL AP  32 11-Apr
QUINCY DAM 21  32 12-Apr
STREATOR 32 11-Apr
JACKSONVILLE 2 32 11-Apr
CARLYLE RSVR 32 11-Apr
KASKASKIA RIV NAV LO 32 12-Apr
LEBANON  32 12-Apr
SMITHLAND L&D  32 12-Apr
MORRISON 33 17-Apr
GLADSTONE DAM 18 33 11-Apr
BIRDS 2E 33 11-Apr
LAWRENCEVILLE  33 11-Apr
SALEM  33 11-Apr
NASHVILLE 1 E  33 12-Apr
CAIRO 3 N  34 12-Apr
GRAND CHAIN DAM 53 34 12-Apr
BROOKPORT DAM 52 34 12-Apr
ALTON MELVIN PRICE 41 10-Apr
GRAYVILLE  44 10-Apr
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April Showers Finally Arrive

Temperature

Some much-needed rain arrived in Illinois over the weekend. As the first map below shows, the rains were widespread across the state. The heaviest amounts of two inches or more fell in the area from around St. Louis eastward and another band across northern Illinois.
However, rainfall in some key agriculture areas of the state remains below normal for April (second map). A band through north-central Illinois is running about 1 to 2 inches below normal for the month. Another area of dry conditions can be seen in southern Illinois  in the counties along the Ohio River. This area of dryness is connected to a larger region in southeast MO, western KY, and southern IN.

Precipitation

The statewide average temperature for the first half of April is 54.5 degrees, 5.7 degrees above normal. As noted in earlier posts, despite the warm weather we have had several days with below freezing temperatures. Considering that many plants in the landscape are about 3 to 4 weeks ahead of schedule, the freezing temperatures did cause some damage. In my yard, the list of damage included some hostas, a smoke bush, and the tips of some rose bushes and yews – all cosmetic.

Severe Weather

At least Illinois has avoided the severe weather so far in April. No tornadoes were reported  as of April 16, unlike the states to our west. The tornado count in Illinois for 2012 is 2 for January, 4 for February, and 8 for March.

Seven-day precipitation for Illinois, ending April 16, based on radar data from the NWS.

Precipitation departures from normal for April 2012, based on radar data from NWS.

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Lows for the Morning of April 11

After the record warmth in March left plants vulnerable to freezing temperatures, and with the average dates of the last freeze in mid April for most of Illinois, we were destined to get some damaging cold weather.
Here are the low temperatures reported for this morning from around the state (April 11):

Station Low
PAW PAW 23
MT CARROLL 24
WATSEKA 2 NW 24
NORMAL 4NE 25
MONMOUTH 4 NW 25
ALTONA 25
LISLE-MORTON ARBORETUM 25
LA HARPE 26
SULLIVAN 26
PRINCEVILLE 2W 26
MARSEILLES LOCK 26
GALENA 26
DWIGHT 26
NEOGA 4NW 26
PARIS WTR WKS 27
TUSCOLA 27
GALESBURG 27
DE KALB 27
MCHENRY STRATTON L&D 27
ELIZABETH 27
PERRY 6 NW 27
MUNDELEIN 4 WSW 27
PRAIRIE CITY 2S 27
EFFINGHAM 27
CARLINVILLE 28
MINONK 28
PONTIAC 28
WINDSOR 28
RAMSEY 28
MORRISONVILLE 28
BENTLEY 28
MORRIS 28
BARRINGTON 3 SW 28
FREEPORT WWP 28
BLOOMINGTON 5W 28
ROBINSON 28
ROCHELLE 28
ELGIN 28
ALEDO 29
OTTAWA 29
PANA 29
RUSHVILLE 29
KEWANEE 1 E 29
CHICAGO BOTANICAL GARDEN 29
WINCHESTER 29
OGDEN 29
SPRINGFIELD #2 29
AURORA 30
OLNEY 2S 30
SPARTA 30
PARK FOREST 30
JOLIET BRANDON RD DM 30
FISHER 30
GRIGGSVILLE 31
KANKAKEE METRO WWTP 31
IUKA 31
CHICAGO MIDWAY AP 3 SW 31
JACKSONVILLE 2 E 32
JERSEYVILLE 2 SW 32
PITTSFIELD #2 32
JACKSONVILLE 2 32
STREATOR 32
MT VERNON 3 NE 32
WHITE HALL 1 E 33
GLADSTONE DAM 18 33
NEW BOSTON DAM 17 33
CHANNAHON DRESDEN ISLAND 33
ILLINOIS CITY DAM 16 33
LAWRENCEVILLE 33
LEBANON 33
FLORA 33
SALEM 33
BIRDS 2E 33
NASHVILLE 1 E 36
QUINCY DAM 21 36
BROOKPORT DAM 52 37
SMITHLAND L&D 37
KASKASKIA RIV NAV LO 37
GRAND CHAIN DAM 53 40
CAIRO 3 N 42
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World View of March Temperatures

One of the advantages of using satellites to measure temperatures is that you can get a world view, even over the oceans. The University of Alabama-Huntsville produced this map of temperature departures around the globe for March 2012. The temperature departures are in degrees Celsius, so if you double them you can get a ballpark idea of the temperature departures in degree F.
The area of much above normal temperatures are clearly seen in much of the U.S. and Canada. Warmer than normal temperatures were also found in western Europe and the north-central Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, colder than normal temperatures were seen in Alaska and parts of eastern Europe and northern Asia. The Southern Hemisphere was much quieter.
On a monthly time scale, it is very common when certain areas are experiencing unusual conditions that other areas are experiencing the exact opposite. The global temperature departures for March 2012 from the satellite data was calculated at +0.11 degrees Celsius (+0.2 degrees F).

Global temperature departures in the lower atmosphere for March 2012. Map courtesy of the University of Alabama-Hunstville and Dr. John Christy. Click to enlarge.