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Dirk Lammers / AP
Anglers gather on the Missouri River below the Fort Randall Dam for some winter fishing Wednesday in Fort Randall, S.D., where temperatures hit the high 50s.
Record high January temperatures may be nice for the average resident of the Dakotas, but they're worrying for farmers and firefighters alike.
Temperatures in the mid-50s were recorded across North and South Dakota. The record high of 55 Wednesday in Bismarck, N.D., was 32 degrees above normal. In fact, in some parts of the Dakotas, it's warmer this January than it is in many parts of Florida.
Florida oranges survive cold snap
Record warmth was forecast again in many areas. In Minot, N.D., the forecast low temperature Thursday is in the mid-30s. That's 15 degrees warmer than the average daytime high for early January, said Justin McHeffey, weather director at NBC station KMOT.
With highs forecast in the 60s later this week in some areas, following a period of below-average precipitation, authorities warned that the risk for a wildland fire — in winter — is higher than usual.
"The conditions are ripe," said Dennis Gorton, administrator of the Pennington County, S.D., Fire Department.
"If we had 6 inches of snow cover ... it wouldn't be any kind of concern," Gorton told NBC station KNBN of Rapid City. "But we just don't have the snow cover this year."
The lack of snow is also a problem for farmers. While it may seem paradoxical, hardy Northern crops need at least 3 inches of snow cover to keep them warm during the winter months — the snow, which is at or just below freezing, is actually much warmer than air temperatures that routinely drop into double digits below zero. So if a cold snap were to hit now, crops would be at risk.
More weather news on msnbc.com
Agriculture officials in both states rated snow cover protection for alfalfa and winter wheat as poor. That's because the average snow depth this week is about only two-tenths of an inch; it's usually more than a foot and a half in January.
Lower but still higher-than usual temperatures are forecast across most of the region by the weekend.
NBC stations KFYR of Bismarck, N.D.; KMOT of Minot, N.D.; and KNBN of Rapid City, S.D., contributed to this report by Alex Johnson of msnbc.com.
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Leave a Comment:
Ah. No smart-alec remarks about global warming.
Imagine that.
I don't have to imagine the effect this will have on food prices this coming season.
And what do you contribute to the discussion?
.. and your point is?
News flash: it's not called "global warming." It's called "climate change." And it actually exists. Climate change, like evolution, can and has been proved using something called "science." Imagine that.
Donkeycat, that is crazy talk! Science, that is crazy talk! ;-) There's this OLD book of fables that tells us all... Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, and an entire slew of other mooncalves said so! ;-)
It is odd how folks who won't accept observational evidence from people WILLINGLY believe in virgin births, zombies, and all sorts of other outlandish things!
It is scientific fact that ice ages have come and gone numerous times over the eons. But now it's somehow different, that the current warming, simply a continuation of the warming since the last ice age, is all the fault of the human race, or more specifically republicans, and we're the idiots?
Furthermore, what does the birth of Christ have to do with zombies? Christ actually exists, zombies are the product of fiction writers and Hollywood. If you choose not to believe in Christ that is your perogative. Please read "Heaven is for real", or any other accounts from people who have seen what follows life as we know it.
Global climate change is real.
Global Warming. Tea Party people are psycho idiots.
I think that the Farmers should fear if the Republicans get in and they need help for crops/. Farmers would be out of luck!
You must not be from the Midwest.
In the Midwest, both parties believe very strongly in aid for farmers.
That's a true statement. They cannot be considered a real farmer, if their truck is more than 6 months old. "Write off", "Depreciation", followed up by "Subsidy". What a livin'!
If the republicans get in we're all out of luck.
Warmer in parts of the Dakotas than in parts of Florida? I guess the Dakotas are gonna become the new tourist hot spot. I can hear it now, "Come on Mabel let's go spend Winter Break in Bismarck." "OK, Syd, We'll catch some rays by the pool. Better slap on the sun screen. Wouldn't want a get sun burn."
Maybe the question we should be asking ourselves is "Where will the desirable locations be as climate change evolves?" That's where people will want to be.
Van, you can easily find this information on maps that are created by NOAA. But, essentially the best place in this country seems to be in the New England area. That area is expected to receive adequate rainfall to continue to support food production.
The great plains and major crop producing areas are expected to experience increased heat and less precipitation - the perfect combination of a dust bowl.
People who believe in climate change and think we can simply "adapt" are sorely misinformed.
The fire danger is not related to heat or lack of rain but the fact that the growing season was over months ago, all vegitation is essentially freeze dried and it will burn just as if it were suffering from draught. The Dakotas, especially eastern North and South Dakota have been wetter (much wetter in several areas) than normal for the better part of the past 40 years. The relative heat, while it has set records for the date, is by no means unprecedented. January - April 1977 was virtually winter-less. We experienced temperatures in the 60's and 70's in mid-late January, we were doing field work in February, planting oats and wheat in March, and corn in early to mid April. Everything was 2 months ahead of normal. The next 2 consecutive winters were record setting for cold, snow, and duration. There is no normal in regards to weather or climate. Climate change is a natural process, man has virtually no influence on weather or climate.
"Climate change is a natural process, man has virtually no influence on weather or climate."
Yeah, I can see where the extra 6 BILLION (give or take) humans on the earth since the last ice age wouldn't effect the weather or climate AT ALL :(
Sure hardtostarboard,
All those folks who spent years in school preparing and still more in their careers studying climate could not possibly know more than you or those that (are more than willing to) tell you what you want to hear.
You folks spent many years denying that our climate was even warming. Now, as it (global warming) has become obvious to all except the most stubborn and or refractory (to understanding), you have retreated to "yes, global warming is real but humans play no part in it".
You are profoundly wrong. Humans are playing a major role in this change. This can be (has been) shown both with field evidence and logical deduction.
But, of course, you have little faith in science (or logic). Do you have more (faith) in business (insurance) experts? See: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/337368/title/Insurance_payouts_point_to_climate_change
Don't you folks ever tire of being wrong?
Correction, hardtostarboard, Climate change is usually a natural process. What is occurring today is due to man digging up carbon from the atmosphere of millions years ago and putting that carbon back into the atmosphere of today. Unnaturally altering the atmosphere at a rate faster than nature has seen for millions of years, if ever, and certainly faster than than what would have been the natural pace of such changes going forward without man's intervention.
The climate as we've known it is based upon a 280 ppm CO2 content, the climate as it will be is based upon a 390+ppm CO2 content, and who knows where we will finally stop emitting copious amounts of GHG's. The climate is only in the beginning stages of adapting to the new equilibrium. As we continue to spew out GHG's, the equilibrium level will continue to change. One thing is for sure, the world we are creating will be far different from the one in which our civilization developed.
North Dakota don't worry about the fire danger threatening the crops..worry about the fire hitting those oil and gas fields they have all over the place there now!
It was 65 degrees today in central Oregon. No snow in the Cascades. The weather has definitely changed here in my 58 years. I don't find it humorous.
Mid-50s in North Idaho today. Grass is green. Three years ago at this time there was more than six feet of snow on the valley floors. Strange days indeed.
As a Florida native now living in North Dakota... Well, I'm loving it!
My friends down there are dressed like "Nanook of the North" ( it's below 70) while I'm wearing just a T-shirt and jeans all day.
:)
I am at nearly 7000 feet in Colorado...and I was working outside in my t-shirt today. The horses are losing their winter coats. It is real.
Two years ago Northern Nevada was colder than North Dakota. Now, we're both enjoying temps in the 50s. Something is globally wrong here (and there)... it's warm and no snow whatsoever.
As a South Dakotan of almost 65 yrs.---all I can say is just wait. March and April isn't hear yet and that's usually when we get "hit". My birthday is in April and I have spent many a birthday "snowed in". I've seen heavy snow on the 4th of July more than once. The weather here is fickle---you can go to bed and the outside temp is in the upper 60's to low 70's then wake up in the morning to 6 foot drifts which will usually disappear in three to four days. So---if you don't like the weather just wait a few minutes---it'll change.
Aw shucks, YWNM....you're ruining it for all the doomsayers out there....and you actually live in the area and have some "real experience," not just some BS opinion formed from a few fragments of information carefully culled to support a predetermined political position? Man, you're a danger to yourself and others....I hope they come a lock you up soon so you can't contaminate the already-made-up minds.
[Nice touch at the end of your comment...."wait a few minutes...it'll change"! Ha Ha....Climate Change....get it?]
Unlike you, Grandpa, nature doesn't have a political stance, nor do the scientists who measure the Earth and merely report the facts to us. It does not matter if one is a Republican, Democrat, or an Independent, climate change will affect us all.
Well, this event by itself isn't highly significant for global warming... things like this do happen. However, these issues seem to be happening more often. THAT is disturbing.
Global crop rotation to match weather patterns? Or crop replacement? Or moving operations to an area benefiting from climate change... ? If only I had a crystal ball ....
Yup....that is cause for concern. Same as the folks about 400 years ago who began to observe colder and colder winters....fall came earlier, spring came later....what's a person to do? We now know that it was the beginning of the Little Ice Age....just a several-hundred-year pattern in the climate....hard to see it for what it was, though, when you're only watching 10 or 20 years of data.....some probably thought it was an irreversable decline in temps that would inevitably lead to the demise of civilization at they knew it, with massive crop failures, starvation, huge migrations as people sought warmer climes, etc. But, not so much. And then there was the Medieval Warm Period (which preceeded the Little Ice Age)...makes you wonder what the folks observing ever increasing temps thought was going on. All by way of saying we probably don't know very much about what is actually going on with climate....especially over the intermediate to long term. Someday we may, but not so much now. Funny that "global warming," touted as the coming death of us all just a few years ago, has given way to "Climate Change"....which is pretty much a phrase that states the obvious....what's been going on with climate for...ummm, several hundred million years.... so, what's up with that? Anyway, we'll all know more about this in the future...so have a good time in the meantime.
The difference being, Grandpa, CO2 levels were near constant (fluctuating a few ppm here and there) over the time frame you bring up. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution the only thing constant with regards to CO2 levels is that they are going UP (see 280 ppm pre-Industrial and over 390 ppm today.) Also we have far more than a mere two decades of data to draw from, we have records of the climate going back (at least) eight hundred thousand years in ice cores, and we can go back further than that in sea floor sediments.
Take a look at the facts, not rhetoric based upon a political position.
yes it has turned unusually warm did this two yrs ago so when went back to normal couple weeks later of course killed all local fruit and a good share of young native birch aspen etc. did also manage about a 90 percent kill on the returning swallows ,but with it warm and no snow at least the foriegn owned nv,gold mines can steal a few billion more dollars worth of our rare earths calling it unprocessed or semi processed ore ,but it,s o.k. we have the gop in controll here in nv.to help them strip us c lean ,and save us the trouble of having to fund schools or food for the local,s nut,s any fool can see there is no global warming.
Just another example of how poorly understood complex systems ( like our climate ) are. How many small nudges does it take to cause a large change? Our kids will be the ones to find out. Our global energy policy could very well be our undoing. I hope not, but our policy makers are basically sitting on the railroad tracks, blindfolded, hoping the train is on the other track. The only problem is that there is only 1 set of tracks.
...and, unfortunately, we will all have to deal with this increase of extreme, unpredictable weather for many years to come. It's like the beginning of a bad horror movie ... the monster is growing stronger!
Oh come on now, you tree hugging hippies! There is nothing to see here. Nature does this all the time! Now stop complaining and go shopping. Where is your patriotism?!
You are an idiot, we crossed the threshold of being able to prevent/reverse the effects of climate change about 50 years ago. And a railroad..........? Left field it is.
Wow...so there's nothing to be done, huh? Glad to hear it since our leaders are largely doing nothing...guess that's OK. Energy policy? Don't need one...haven't you heard...it's too late....
Unless they get more precipitation it looks like a drought in the making?
Yup, that pretty much sums it up....
Yup, just like a lack of clouds makes the skies sunny all day. Are they where the deer and the antelope play by chance?
Food costs will skyrocket anyway just as obama wants for his rich friends--he has power to set lower prices--but where is he? Hawaii again? Get rid of this clown.
Yea! Why can't he just start a couple of decade long wars to make his "friends" rich like the last guy did? He should be more socialistic too and "set prices" because he doesn't get accused of being a socialist often enough. And, you'd think the idiot would take more vacation time in Hawaii or just anywhere because he's taken less vacation time than the last dozen presidents except for maybe Bill Clinton! What's wrong with this Obama guy, Keith? Oh, yea. You are a GOP, Limbaugh robot. No wonder...
Keith- Seriously? Bush sets up tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% of Americans and you're worried about Obama giving money to his rich friends?! Obama's "rich friends" want the tax cuts repealed. Also, Bush took more vacation than any modern-day president in history. Clearly someone doesn't know what he's talking about.
Also, I find it ironic that North and South Dakota are seeing so little moisture while Tucson, AZ is getting slammed with flooding. Not only is climate change (currently mostly man-made) to blame but we need to find alternative sources of energy and possibly a way to direct and create storms over particular areas to obtain moisture in areas where it is needed the most.
And having once lived in both states, I still find it annoying when people refer to both states as simply "the Dakotas." That may have been fine when it was still "the Dakota Territory" but they are two separate states now and should be treated as such.
Religious conservative will pray for rain, and big turn-outs in the January primaries.
Then:
The new Congress will send a Federal deluge to North and South Dakota (in 2013).
Even more global warming. Take santorum. He tells you there's no such thing as global warming. But the population grows by 350% every 80 years. 7B today, 25B in 2090. Santorum increased his family size by 350% in 20 years. High speed rail & renewables are needed.
Yeah, well 350% every 80 years (that counts from 2 billion in 1930 to 7 billion in 2011) is not projected to continue...birth rates are declining and population growth rate is projected to be somewhat lower in the future. nobody thinks there will be 29B in 2090.....current estimates are 9B by 2045...with the time to add an additional 1B people actually increasing so that by 2090 population is more likely to be 11B-12B or so. In my view, birth control is needed more that high speed rail or renewables to deal with these projections. Food production will be a main issue...not rail.
1,050,000 humans added to world population so far this year. Another 210,000 by this time tomorrow.
No. Humans can't affect the atmosphere. We're just microbes ... killing the beast.
And your plan is? Not sure folks say humans can't affect the planet and climate. We just don't know what the effects actually are.....and those that say they do are liars....as for me: I don't know what the answer is...
Another problem with the lack of snow will be the lack of water in the spring. Farmers depend on the snow during winter to slowly soak the ground when it slowly melts. (Same reason why an inch of rain over 2 days is better for the soil than an inch of rain in an hour.) No snow in winter means bad crops in the summer. Mark my words.
In 2011 the Dakotas had plenty of rain and run-off from snow; a huge surplus in fact, and they sent most of it down stream to Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri. Be careful what you wish for.
More signs of the upcoming doom of 12/21/12- Nibiru will return soon! prepare!
There goes that global warming again...oh wait.
What was it the wackos were saying again, that an average increase in global temperature leads to wild swings in weather?
Look--> another war in the Gulf!