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November and Winter Weather Outlooks for 2021

October 25, 2021 3:27 PM
Blog Post

The November and the meteorological winter (December-January-February) temperature and precipitation outlooks were recently released by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Below is a recap of what those outlooks are predicting and the potential impacts those outlooks could have on agriculture.

November weather outlook

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Late Winter Weather Outlook and Soil Conditions for 2021

February 8, 2021 2:28 PM
Blog Post

The final February climatological outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) show a strong signal for colder than average temperatures across much of the upper Midwest, including Iowa. On the precipitation front, there is an elevated probability for wetter than normal conditions. December, January and February are the driest three months for Iowa, so when looking at probabilities, it doesn’t take a lot of moisture (or lack thereof) to be above or below normal.

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How Cold Weather Impacts Miscanthus

April 10, 2020 3:10 PM
Blog Post

By Madelynn Connell and Emily Heaton 

Many people in the Midwest have recently experienced the bitter-cold temperatures brought on by arctic air falling into the mid-latitudes. While these temperatures can make people rather uncomfortable, they are also potentially dangerous to miscanthus in the field.

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Goodbye winter, hello spring?

March 13, 2019 9:40 AM
Blog Post

Old man winter seems to just be hanging around, but we have had some glimpses that spring will arrive eventually.

We’ve had below normal temperatures (averaged for December, January, and February was 20.8 degrees or 1.3 degrees below normal) and above normal precipitation (total precipitation for December, January, and February was 5.63 inches, 2.32 inches more than normal) across the state this winter.

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Bean Leaf Beetle Mortality Predictions

April 7, 2017
Predicted overwintering mortality of bean leaf beetle

Bean leaf beetle adults (Photo 1) are susceptible to cold weather and most will die when the air temperature falls below 14°F (-10°C). However, they have adapted to winter by protecting themselves under plant debris and loose soil. Each spring, adult beetles emerge from overwintering habitat and migrate to available host plants, such as alfalfa, tick trefoil, and various clovers. As the season progresses, bean leaf beetles move to more preferred hosts, like soybean.

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How do insects survive the winter?

October 5, 2016 2:05 PM
Blog Post

Right now, I have five different insects walking around my office! Of course, they are accidental invaders along with many other nuisance pests active right now. It’s also a sign of the quality of the building I work in [sigh]. I’ve been asked several times, “how cold does it have to get to kill insects?” Perhaps it is important to understand why cold temperatures kill insects. Insects are unlike mammals and birds because they must generate their own heat (called ectotherms).

Predicted mortality of bean leaf beetle is low

April 5, 2016 1:39 PM
Blog Post

Bean leaf beetle adults are susceptible to cold weather and most will die when the air temperature falls below 14°F (-10°C). However, they have adapted to winter by protecting themselves under plant debris and loose soil. An overwintering survival model developed at ISU in 2000 is helpful for predicting winter mortality based on accumulating subfreezing temperatures. Predicted mortality rates in Iowa were low during the 2015-2016 winter and ranged from 35-68%.

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