View from the Cab: Not our grandparents' weather
By: Kent Casson
The weather these days differs a bit from that of our grandparents.
This was the message from Duane Friend, keynote speaker at this month’s annual meeting of the Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District. Friend is a state Master Naturalist and climate specialist.
Friend grew up in southern Mason County which has different soil than around here. He developed an interest in weather and hydrology and planned to become a meteorologist but not many were being hired at the time. Friend was a resource conservationist.
During the presentation, Friend noted our winters and springs are much warmer than they used to be.
“Our winters have gotten much warmer,” he explained. “Even our cold snaps have gotten warmer.”
Summer has not changed much as far as overall average temperature but evening temperatures have warmed the most and the growing season is longer. The warmest year on record for the Midwest was 2024, even beating 2012. Our humidity is increasing – especially in the summertime.
“Those dew point temperatures have gone up,” said Friend.
This needs to be considered when storing grain, including during the summer. According to Friend, “corn sweat” is real and adds humidity to the air but we really get humidity from the Gulf of Mexico. With more water vapor in the air, there is a greater likelihood of a big rain event.
Seasonally, our spring has gotten wetter, especially in April when growers are trying to put seeds in the ground. Flash droughts can even come into play when the weather turns really hot and dry in a matter of days.
We are in a very weak La Nina pattern currently. Friend questions if insects figure out if pollen is ready when we have an early spring. A weather stress situation causes plants to have more chemicals which causes the pollen scent to be different.
More wet springs and heavy precipitation events are expected in the next few decades.
“Always look at those average frost dates,” advises Friend. “Don’t just think you can go out and plant and you’ll be fine.”
Friend suggests using cover crops where feasible as they add organic matter to the soil which is a good thing.
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