IEM Daily Feature
Tuesday, 11 May 2021
Tuesday, 11 May 2021
Increasing GDD Deficits
Posted: 11 May 2021 05:37 AM
As is likely the case most years but as recency bias dictates, the weather this spring season has
been a bit crazy. After a rather dry April for much of the state, we are now stuck in a cool pattern
which not much in the way of heat unit accumulation and even some freezing temperatures present
in the state this morning. From a Growing Degree Day accumulation perspective, we are currently
increasing deficits which equates into slower plant growth. The featured chart presents accumulated
GDDs for Ames with this year, last year, and the climatology envelope plotted for the period since 15
April. We are currently accumulating about half the daily GDDs than long term average would
suggest, so deficits will continue to grow until warmer weather arrives. Longer term models are
hinting at warmer weather by the end of May and the forecast for this summer continues to be on the
warm side of average, so hopefully these deficits can be made up.
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Voting:
Good = 9
Bad = 0