This fall has been challenging for crop producers in the Red
River Valley (RRV). Record-setting
rainfall in September and October throughout much of the region slowed harvest,
caused equipment to get bogged down in mud and left some crops (some potatoes
and sugar beets) inaccessible before they were damaged by frost. The last 30 days, however brought an
additional hardship – daily maximum and minimum temperatures that were far
below climatological “normal”.
The North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) has weather monitoring stations
located throughout both sides of the RRV. Data was accessed from the Fargo,
North Dakota and Ada, Eldred, Warren, Mavie and Kennedy, Minnesota NDAWN locations (Figure 1). Warren experienced the most days with daily
high temperatures at least 10 and 15 degrees below normal, while Ada and Warren
were tied for the most days with daily high temperatures at least 20 degrees
below normal (Table 1). The Mavie
weather station had the coldest daily low temperatures with the most days on
which daily lows were at least 10, 15 and 20 degrees below normal (Table 1).
 |
| Figure 1. Locations of weather stations monitored by the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN). |
Table 1. Number of days out of the last 30 (Oct 15-Nov 13) that
daily maximum and minimum temperatures were at least 10, 15 or 20 degrees below
climatological normal at locations throughout the Red River Valley (Source:
NDAWN)
|
|
Number of days that daily maximum
temperatures were at or below x degrees from normal
|
|
Number of days that daily minimum
temperatures were at or below x degrees from normal
|
||||
|
Location
|
10 degrees
|
15 degrees
|
20 degrees
|
|
10 degrees
|
15 degrees
|
20 degrees
|
|
Fargo
|
13
|
7
|
1
|
|
6
|
3
|
2
|
|
Ada
|
17
|
8
|
2
|
|
8
|
3
|
2
|
|
Eldred
|
16
|
8
|
1
|
|
8
|
2
|
1
|
|
Warren
|
18
|
11
|
2
|
|
7
|
4
|
0
|
|
Mavie
|
15
|
8
|
1
|
|
10
|
8
|
7
|
|
Kennedy
|
12
|
6
|
1
|
|
7
|
4
|
0
|
For a visual depiction of daily departures from normal high
and low temperatures from October 15 through November 13, check out Fargo’s
data in Figure 2, Ada’s in Figure 3, Eldred in Figure 4, Warren in Figure 5, Mavie
in Figure 6 and Kennedy in Figure 7.
 |
| Figure 2. Departure of daily maximum (red) and minimum (blue) temperatures (in degrees F) for October 15 through November 13 at the Fargo, ND NDAWN weather station (Source: NDAWN). |
 |
| Figure 3. Departure of daily maximum (red) and minimum (blue) temperatures (in degrees F) for October 15 through November 13 at the Ada, MN NDAWN weather station (Source: NDAWN). |
 |
| Figure 4. Departure of daily maximum (red) and minimum (blue) temperatures (in degrees F) for October 15 through November 13 at the Eldred, MN NDAWN weather station (Source: NDAWN). |
 |
| Figure 5. Departure of daily maximum (red) and minimum (blue) temperatures (in degrees F) for October 15 through November 13 at the Warren, MN NDAWN weather station (Source: NDAWN). |
 |
| Figure 6. Departure of daily maximum (red) and minimum (blue) temperatures (in degrees F) for October 15 through November 13 at the Mavie, MN NDAWN weather station (Source: NDAWN). |
 |
| Figure 7. Departure of daily maximum (red) and minimum (blue) temperatures (in degrees F) for October 15 through November 13 at the Kennedy, MN NDAWN weather station (Source: NDAWN). |
