Page 8 October 25, 2013 2013 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
The last two years of weather extremes, not only
in Illinois but around the world, have led some to
question if the climate could be changing.
Is there climate change in process, and if so, would it
change farming in Logan County?
Here’s some pertinent data gathered from the National
Weather Service Climate Summary. Comparatives are
made using 30 years of data and assembled in three-
month periods for seasonal reports.
The figures below are based on 30-year averages from
June 1 to Aug. 31 in Lincoln:
Rainfall
The average amount of rain for this period is 13.30
inches.
•
The total in 2013 was 7.98 inches; short 5.32
inches.
•
In 2012 it was 3.41 inches.
In 2013 there were 15 fewer days than average with
recordable precipitation between 0.01 and 1 inch.
Of special note for the same three-month period: In
over 100 years of records, the drought of 1988 had the
record-low rainfall of 3.15 inches.
And, just in case you are wondering, just seven years
earlier, in 1981, the maximum precipitation recorded
since 1905 during June, July and August in Lincoln
was 23.76 inches.
Temperatures
Temperatures during this year’s growing season fell
below normal. The recorded high of 95 degrees came
on Aug. 30, and the low of 47 degrees fell on Aug. 18.
The 30-year average high temperature for this location
is 84.2 degrees.
•
The 2013 average high temperature for the same
period was 82.3 degrees, down 1.9 degrees.
•
In 2012, the average high temp was 88.0 degrees.
The 30-year average low temperature is 62.6 degrees.
•
The average low this year was 61.0 degrees,
down 1.6 degrees.
The normal mean for this period is 73.4 degrees.
•
The mean in 2013 was 71.7 degrees, down 1.7
degrees.
•
The mean in 2012 was 74.0, up 0.6 degrees.
