Browse Climate Stories - Page 4

Georgians may be wondering if the state’s last frost of the year has already passed. The answer, of course, depends on where you live and the quirks of the weather.

Farmers who might face a delayed planting season can thank El Niño for Georgia’s exceedingly wet winter, according to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agricultural climatologist. Row crop and vegetable producers usually begin planting their crops in late March through May, but excessive rainfall and cloudy conditions in January and February have left many fields soaked and soggy.

Heavy rainfall across the western half of Georgia helped to keep daytime temperatures low, while nighttime temperatures were a little above normal throughout August. 

July saw the return of normal summertime temperatures to Georgia, but those normal summertime temperatures are still punishingly hot.

Georgia saw a cooler-than-normal start to the year, and most of the state posted average temperatures between 2.5 and 4 degrees below normal. With cool, dry air expected to dominate Georgia’s climate in coming weeks, there is a chance that drought could continue expanding across the state and may persist through the spring.

University of Georgia natural resource economist Craig Landry will use his portion of a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study how the economy and the environment are affected when humans and coastal regions commingle. The four-year project is a team effort with researchers from Colorado, North Carolina and Ohio.

As concerns grow over the ability of the Upper Floridan Aquifer to keep up with demands for water from residents, farms and forests, four universities are teaming up to look at the economic sustainability of agriculture and forestry in north Florida and south Georgia that rely on this water supply.

May’s warm, wet conditions brought relief to the parched areas of the state, and Georgians can expect more of the same in June.

Knowing wet bulb temperature could help farmers protect crops from hard freezes while saving money, water and energy.

A La Nina weather pattern is providing warmer winter temperatures for Georgia residents, sparking farmers’ concerns about potential plant diseases at the start of production season in early spring.