1998 Central Agricultural Research Center Weather Summary

Summary of weather data for the 1997-1998 crop year

 Daily and monthly precipitation for 1998

 Summary of precipitation and snowfall

 Summary of air temperature and wind velocity

 Summary of soil temperature at three soil depths under bare ground and sod

 Inches of evaporation from a free water surface

 Summary of growing degree units

 

 

Summary of weather data for the 1997-1998 crop year

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Total/

1997

1997

1997

1997

1998

1998

1998

1998

1998

1998

1998

1998

Avg.
Precipitation (in.)

Current Yr.

0.50

0.42

0.14

0.34

0.43

0.14

0.76

0.59

1.89

4.79

2.08

1.68

13.76

1907-1997

1.40

0.88

0.58

0.57

0.58

0.47

0.74

1.16

2.60

3.17

1.73

1.61

15.49
Temperature (Fo)

Current Yr.

59.9

45.5

34.5

30.1

24.3

34.1

30.6

44.3

53.2

54.1

68.8

68.5

45.7

1907-1997

54.4

44.6

32.4

24.7

21.0

24.3

30.0

40.9

50.2

58.1

65.5

64.4

42.5

 1998 Frost and Minimum/Maximum temperature information

Last killing frost 1/ in Spring
     1998 June 2 (31oF)
     1909-1998 Avg. May 27
First killing frost 1/ in Fall
     1998 October 5 (31oF)
     1909-1998 Avg. September 15
Frost free period
     1998 125 days
     1909-1998 Avg. 111 days
Maximum summer temp. 95oF – Sept. 4 & 7, 1998
Minimum winter temp. - 26oF – January 12, 1998
1/ In this summary 32oF is considered a killing frost

1998 Off-Station Precipitation (in.) 1/

Site

April

May

June

July

Growing

Crop Yr. Precip.

Season Total

Sept’97-Aug’98
Denton

0.6

3.3

3.7

4.1

11.7

17.7
Ft. Benton

NA

NA

NA

NA

5.5

15.7
Winifred

0.6

2.6

4.5

3.1

10.8

16.7
Moore

1.3

2.2

4.9

3.1

11.5

NA
1/ Actual rainfall received at the plot location my have been more or less.

 

Daily and monthly precipitation for 1998

Day

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Total
------------------------------inches------------------------------

1

.05

.08

2

.12

.10

.69

.04

3

.21

.20

.22

.17

.06

4

T

.28

.13

.03

.06

.08

5

.33

.08

6

.38

.02

.30

.80

7

.01

.03

.03

8

T

.05

.13

.12

.93

T

9

T

T

.23

10

T

.02

.09

.03

T

11

.07

.01

.50

T

.11

12

T

.22

13

.84

14

.22

.17

15

T

.05

.07

16

.12

.36

T

.56

17

.01

.15

.02

.87

.12

T

.04

18

.04

.01

.05

T

.07

.09

19

T

.31

.06

T

20

1.27

21

.14

.02

.11

.02

22

.07

.83

23

T

.10

.01

24

.06

.30

.03

25

.14

T

.04

.01

26

.17

.07

27

.03

28

.08

29

.12

T

.11

30

.11

.75

.17

31

.56

.04

Sums

.43

.14

.76

.59

1.89

4.79

2.08

1.72

1.34

.92

1.47

.47

16.60

 

Summary of precipitation and snowfall

Precipitation

Yearly Snowfall

Winter Snowfall*

Snow**

Month

1998

90 Yr. Avg.

1998

37 Yr. Avg.

1997-98

36 Yr. Avg.

Depth

----------------------------inches----------------------------
Jan.

0.43

0.57

7.7

12.3

7.7

12.4

2.0
Feb.

0.14

0.47

4.0

6.9

4.0

7.1

4.0
Mar.

0.76

0.74

13.0

11.1

13.0

11.2

5.0
Apr.

0.59

1.16

1.5

8.3

1.5

8.5

1.5
May

1.89

2.60

1.7

1.7
June

4.79

3.19
July

2.08

1.74
Aug.

1.72

1.61
Sept.

1.34

1.40

0.8

0.8
Oct.

0.92

0.88

4.5

T

4.6
Nov.

1.47

0.59

7.6

7.4

1.5

7.4

4.5
Dec.

0.47

0.57

9.0

10.6

5.2

10.6

3.5
Totals

16.6

15.5

42.8

63.6

32.9

64.3
* Winter Snowfall – Sept. 1997 thru May 1998
** Highest snow depth on the ground during the month.

Summary of air temperature and wind velocity   

1998 Air Temp. oF

1911-1998 Air Temp. oF

Wind Speed MPH*
Month

Max

Min

Mean

Max

Min

Mean

1998

1910-1998
Jan.

34

14

24.3

32.5

9.1

21.0

6.0

6.0
Feb.

46

22

34.1

36.0

12.9

24.4

5.0

6.0
Mar.

42

20

30.6

40.8

18.9

30.0

5.3

6.0
April

56

33

44.3

52.8

29.3

40.9

5.2

6.4
May

68

39

53.2

62.5

38.1

50.3

4.1

5.7
June

64

44

54.1

70.2

45.7

58.1

3.5

4.6
July

83

55

68.8

80.1

50.9

65.6

2.7

4.2
Aug.

84

53

68.5

79.5

49.5

64.4

2.9

4.4
Sept.

78

48

63.0

68.0

40.8

54.5

2.8

4.8
Oct.

60

34

46.9

57.3

31.9

44.6

5.1

4.9
Nov.

45

29

36.6

43.8

20.9

32.5

6.3

5.5
Dec.

35

14

24.3

35.9

13.4

24.7

6.8

6.0
* Wind speed average of 24 hours per day.
Number of days 90 F or above in 1998.

June

July

Aug

Sept

Total

88 Yr. Avg.

0

4

4

7

15

10


Number of days 0 F or under in 1998.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

Oct

Nov

Dec

Total

88 Yr.Avg.

8

0

2

0

0

0

7

17

27

Lowest temperature recorded in 1998: -26 oF, January 12, 1998
Highest temperature recorded in 1998: 95 oF, Sept. 5 & 8, 1998
Date of highest wind speed in 1998: 14.9 MPH, December 18, 1998

 

Summary of soil temperature at three soil depths under bare ground and sod.

4 " Soil Depth

8 " Soil Depth

20 " Soil Depth

4 " Soil Depth

Bare Ground

Bare Ground

Bare Ground

Under Sod

1998

33 Yr.

1998

33 Yr.

1998

23 Yr.

1998

33 Yr.

Mean

Mean

Mean

Mean

Mean

Mean

Mean

Mean
Jan

30.2

30.8

31.5

31.0

34.0

33.9

32.1

32.0
Feb

33.5

32.2

33.8

31.7

35.0

33.0

37.2

32.5
March

37.6

37.0

37.7

35.5

37.0

34.8

39.8

37.8
April

49.6

45.8

46.8

43.7

43.0

40.6

49.4

47.1
May

63.4

56.7

59.5

54.1

52.0

48.6

61.7

57.5
June

62.0

66.7

59.7

63.7

55.0

56.2

62.8

66.6
July

79.4

74.3

74.5

71.1

64.0

62.1

75.8

73.0
Aug

77.0

72.8

73.4

70.3

66.0

63.5

74.3

72.1
Sept

68.5

61.4

66.7

60.0

63.0

58.5

67.9

61.8
Oct

49.2

48.2

49.7

48.1

53.0

50.6

51.1

50.0
Nov

37.7

37.3

39.9

38.3

45.0

42.8

41.3

40.4
Dec

34.7

33.0

36.7

33.7

40.0

37.3

37.3

34.7

Low and high soil temperature during winter (1997-98) and summer 1998.

Low (oF)

High (oF)
4 inch bare

17

 Nov. 15-16

105

 July 27
8 inch bare

27

 Nov 16

86

 July 20
20 inch bare

3

 Jan. 19-29, 31

68

 Aug. 13-15 and numerous days in July
4 inch sod

24

 Jan. 12-13

86

 July 21

Date soil first froze (32 oF) and date last thawed, 3 days
(33 oF) for 1997-98 winter.

Froze

Thawed
4 inch bare

Oct 25

March 13
8 inch bare

Nov 14

Feb 9
20 inch bare

Did not freeze
4 inch sod

Nov. 14

March 6

 

Inches of evaporation from a free water surface.

Water Evap. – inches

Precipitation – inches
Month

1998

1909-98

1998

1909-98
April

4.67

4.11

0.59

1.16
May

8.82

5.95

1.89

2.60
June

5.70

6.71

4.79

3.19
July

9.40

8.86

2.08

1.74
August

9.64

8.49

1.72

1.61
September

7.43

5.59

1.34

1.40
Total 45.66 39.71 12.41 11.70
Mean 7.61

6.62

Ratio of Precipitation to Evaporation
1998:   1 inch precipitation to 3.68" evaporation
1909-1998: 1 inch precipitation to 3.71" evaporation
Highest daily evaporation in 1998: 0.53" on Sept. 3, 1998

 

Growing Degree Units

GDU*

Mean Air Temp oF
Month

1998

1911-98

1998

1911-98
May

270

208

53.2

50.3
June

216

313

54.1

58.1
July

566

491

68.8

65.6
August

558

475

68.5

64.4
September

431

287

63.0

54.5
October

170

161

46.9

44.6
Total

2211

1935

*GDU = (max. temp. + min. temp.)/2 – 50
If max. temp. > 86, substitute it with 86
If min. temp. < 50, substitute it with 50

The 50-86 degree temperature range is considered the optimum growth range for corn. Temperatures above or below these limits can slow development and growth. GDU is used as a method of rating plant maturity. The more heat units, the faster plants will grow. Some research has shown that a 40-90 degree temperature range is more normal for most small grains. GDU is figured on a daily basis and added to previous days’ totals.

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