Fargo recorded the first hard freeze of the season on Friday, September 28. Oddly it did not occur in the morning, in fact, temperatures were above freezing in the morning. Instead, the first freeze at 32 degrees and then the first hard freeze of 28 degrees both occurred during the evening hours. Then temperatures rose… Read more First Hard Freeze
Month: September 2018
Autumnal Equinox
The autumnal equinox occurs tomorrow, the day that the Sun’s direct rays will be directly over the equator. With North Dakota situated between 46 and 49 degrees north of the equator, this means that the shadows of an object are now longer than the object casting the shadow. In addition, the amount of potential evaporation… Read more Autumnal Equinox
AMO and Autumns
We have had a string of above average autumns since the turn of the century. We have had a couple of cool autumns, but a vast majority of been above average. I get asked a lot about this trend and if it will continue. Of course, historically, no such seasonal pattern has ever continued and… Read more AMO and Autumns
Finishing September
The rest of September look cool in the sense of normal to below normal temperatures. Meaning, that the month as a whole will probably finish close to average in southeastern North Dakota and probably below average elsewhere in the state. The current pattern we are in looks to favor below average temperature in October. A… Read more Finishing September
Damp
As the growing season comes to a close we are now entering drying season for many. Those classic warm sunny autumn days with very low relative humidity values are of course ideal for lowering the moisture levels of all crops. The rest of this week is not going to provide many opportunities for that classic… Read more Damp
Frost Season
Last week, many parts of northern North Dakota into northern Minnesota along and north of US Highway 2 recorded either a frost or a freeze. The weather over the next several days looks far too mild for any worries about a the first frost across southern North Dakota or west central Minnesota, but they may… Read more Frost Season
September is Here
September is upon us and that means some big changes are coming. By the end of the month much of this area will likely record the first frost and potentially the first hard freeze of the season ending our growing season. The average high and low will drop about 15 degrees, or another way of… Read more September is Here