Sunday, August 16, 2009

Signs of Early Winter 2009-2010

Here we go.

The AP reports from Fairbanks, Alaska, that "cold air from the northwest Arctic combined with clear skies and calm winds to bring an early frost to Interior Alaska." This on August 13, 2009. The early frost caused farmers to set out freeze protectors over the crops. A record low was set at a local airport, breaking the previous low temperature for that date that was set in 1969.

An early winter snow event occurred in Wyoming on Saturday, August 15, at a relatively low altitude of 9000 feet.

If this continues, there will be a shortage of crops this year, especially corn that is used to make ethanol, and soybeans that is used to make biodiesel. The U.S. may try to imitate Brazil's success at producing bio-ethanol, but there are certain geographic facts that favor Brazil and disfavor the U.S. The main fact is that Brazil is much closer to the equator and thus much hotter so sugar cane grows easily. The U.S. cannot hope to grow enough sugar cane so corn is the next target. Killing frosts and shorter growing seasons do not favor growing corn. The U.S. will learn a lesson that farmers have known for centuries: don't rely on the weather.

And this, from the NWS for a frost warning near Pueblo, Colorado for early a.m. Monday Aug 17: ...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 8 AM MDT MONDAY...
 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A FROST ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 8 AM MDT MONDAY.  THIS ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAN LUIS VALLEY OF SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO.  DRY AIR AND CLEAR SKIES WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO DIP BRIEFLY BELOW FREEZING ACROSS LOW LYING AREAS OF THE SAN LUIS VALLEY BETWEEN 4 AM AND 8 AM MONDAY.  A LIGHT FROST...HAVING A DAMAGING IMPACT ON TENDER VEGETATION...IS POSSIBLE.

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