Browse Climate Stories - Page 8

After ending 2015 with some record-breaking warm and wet weather, Georgia’s fruit and tree nut farmers are concerned that the lack of chill hours and soggy soil could damage their crops.

2015 saw one of the warmest Decembers since Georgians started keeping records, and the month was also much wetter than normal. The warm, wet conditions created havoc for Georgia farmers.

In her new book, “Sustainable Gardening for the Southeast,” Susan Varlamoff, CAES director of the Office of Environmental Sciences, aims to provide home gardeners with comprehensive information on environmentally friendly gardening and to teach readers how to create an ecosystem in home landscapes.

November 2015 was one of the 10 wettest, warmest Novembers on record for Georgia. Some areas of the state received as much as 10 inches more rain than is normal, and temperatures were generally 3 to 7 degrees above normal.

In a time of public debate over the effectiveness and safety of genetically modified foods, it’s hard to picture the era before crop breeders developed grain varieties that could withstand drought and common diseases.

Despite Georgians’ constant umbrella use of late, most of September 2015 was actually drier than normal.

June was much warmer than normal, expanding drought across parts of the state and causing heat damage to some pasturelands and early summer crops.

April 2015 was much warmer and wetter statewide than is usual for the month. The wet conditions caused delays in planting and contributed to some crop disease pressure, while the warm conditions accelerated the growth of plants, like corn, that were already in the ground. While statewide statistics will not be available until later this month, this April is expected to be one of the warmest Aprils on record for Georgia, coming close to the record of 67.9 degrees Fahrenheit set in 2002.

Even though we’re past the average date for last frost in parts of the Southeast, it is still possible for a cold blast to move through the area. By following the provided tips from UGA Extension, gardeners and homeowners can prepare their vulnerable plants for the worst.

After a bone chilling November, Georgia saw warmer and wetter weather in December. The rain eliminated drought across the state, although some patches of abnormally dry conditions were still present at the end of the month.