Record mid-April hard freezes kill Great Plains wheat

Last Tuesday, April 15, was the coldest "Tax Day" nationwide on record. Hard freezes extended as far south as northern Texas. Mid-April snows were seen throughout the Corn Belt states. Columbus, Ohio, had nearly four inches of the white stuff on Tuesday, its heaviest snowfall ever for so late in the spring season. Traces of snow were reported in the Texas panhandle, Arkansas and Tennessee. Even northern Louisiana had a few flakes. Detroit, Mich., set a seasonal snowfall record on Tuesday.

A hard freeze in the southern Great Plains on Tuesday produced temperatures between 21 and 24 degrees at Amarillo, Dalhart, Perry and Lubbock, Texas. Near Gage, Okla., one rancher reported 18 degrees. Ponca City, Okla. dipped to a record low of 21 degrees for April 15.

In Kansas, the nation's leading wheat producing state, already plagued by winterkill this harsh winter of 2013-14 that refuses to end and parching drought, there were reports of morning lows near 15 degrees both Monday and Tuesday. It was a frigid 13 degrees at Valentine, Neb.

Jointing wheat was damaged by the record cold early this past week in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, especially in those areas where the mercury plunged into the teens and lower 20s for several hours. Any wheat heading out can be at risk even at readings near 30 degrees. Fortunately, there was very little wheat heading out despite recent 90 degree temperatures in the southern Great Plains.

Up near the Canada/U.S. border, the ground is still solidly frozen and snow-covered. Temperatures dipped below zero in parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba on Monday, April 14. The minus 4 degrees at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, was the 100th morning since last October with lows at zero or below, an all-time record for any winter season in modern times. Grand Forks, N.D., had 97 days of zero readings this past winter, easily breaking the previous mark of 73 such bitterly cold mornings in 1978-79, when many climate scientists were predicting "a new Little Ice Age."

Some of our Harris-Mann farmer clients in the Dakotas, Minnesota and the Prairie Provinces of Canada may not be able to plant their 2014 crops until at least mid to late May or even early June in some cases. This means that an early frost in late August or early September would be devastating. Many farmers in the North Country may be forced into "preventive planting" by the exceptionally frigid weather conditions this winter and early spring.

Things aren't much better weatherwise in the Corn Belt states. It was 13 degrees on "Tax Day," April 15, at Spencer, Iowa, the coldest morning there ever recorded for so late in the season. Mason City, Iowa, had 17 degrees on Tuesday. Scotts Bluff, Neb., plunged to 15 degrees. Marquette, Michigan had a record low of 6 degrees. It was 5 degrees at International Falls, Minn. It was 10 degrees at Hibbing and 17 degrees at Minneapolis and Redwood Falls, Minn.

Other record lows reported on Tuesday included; Kirksville, Mo., and Mansfield, Ohio, each with 21 degrees. It was 22 degrees at Toledo, Ohio, and Moline, Ill. Cleveland had 23 degrees. It was 24 degrees at Indianapolis, Chicago and Bristol, Tenn. St. Louis reported 28 degrees and heavy frost. Memphis, Tenn., dipped to a record low of 30 degrees on April 16.

By extreme contrast, we've recently seen record warmth above the century mark in the Desert Southwest with moisture-sapping 90s in Southern California. The most severe drought in modern times lives on. There is at least a 70 percent chance that this huge drought pattern will push through the Midwest all the way to the western slopes of the Appalachians by July or August (one can view our predictions for this summer nationwide and locally in North Idaho by going to YouTube and searching for Cliff Harris, Climatologist, or go to www.LongRangeWeather.com. A large 4,500 year temperature trend chart is likewise available on YouTube).

NORTH IDAHO WEATHER REVIEW AND LONG-RANGE OUTLOOKS

Earlier this past week, we had a couple of mornings with hard freezes locally in North Idaho. Several people called to report damage to uncovered sensitive plants after temperatures plunged into the low to mid 20s in the region.

We will have a couple of additional frosts in the coldest areas away from the warming bodies of water between now and early to mid May. Once again, we will have to cover those vulnerable plants.

Randy Mann and I still are predicting a 'sun and shower' pattern for the next 60 days or so through mid to late June. We will see widely-fluctuating temperatures from above normal readings ahead of the weather systems to colder than usual frosty mornings as skies clear following the passage of the Gulf of Alaska cold fronts. There will be rather frequent thunderstorms as well during the next six to eight weeks.

The summer of 2014 still looks warm to hot and mostly dry (see our YouTube video for details).

Cliff Harris is a climatologist who writes a weekly column for The Press. His opinions are his own. Email sfharris@roadrunner.com