When the temperature rises, remember the Kansas Mesonet Cattle Comfort Tool
When the weather turns bitter cold or very hot, don't forget about the Kansas Mesont Cattle Comfort Tool. This tool illustrates the impacts of both extreme heat and extreme cold. Read more about this tool in this article.
June 2020 in Kansas: One big hot wind
While windy days in Kansas are certainly common, June is historically one of the lighter wind months. This was not the case for June 2020. Sustained winds were above average for most of June for much of the state. What conditions were driving these winds? Read more here from the KS Climate team.
Use the Mesonet Animal Comfort Tool to monitor livestock conditions this summer
Summer brings the heat, often amplified by higher humidity. Warmer-than-normal temperatures, especially at night, can cause heat stress to develop rapidly in livestock. The Kansas Mesonet has an Animal Comfort Tool that can help monitor conditions and aid farmers in making the best management decisions.
Weather conditions during the cattle loss event in southwest Kansas in mid-June 2022
This article examines the weather conditions in southwest Kansas during the recent extreme heat wave. Specifically, this article discusses the Kansas Mesonet Cattle Comfort Index and how this weather event led to cattle losses in certain locations in southwest Kansas.
high temperatures Cattle Comfort Tool hot weather extreme weather
High temperatures reduce effectiveness of Group 27 herbicides
Applying certain herbicides when air temperatures are high could reduce their effectiveness on controlling Palmer amaranth. Research conducted at K-State described two key changes about how Palmer amaranth responds to applications of mesotrione (Callisto) under high temperatures.
palmer amaranth high temperatures post-emergence hot weather Group 27 herbicides
How hot has it been in Kansas this summer?
July is typically the hottest month in Kansas, and this year has been no exception. But, has this summer been hotter than normal? How does it compare to previous summers? This article examines measured summer temperatures from 40 locations all across Kansas.
Summer of 2022: Temperature rankings for 40 locations in Kansas
In this article, we take a final look at the heat of 2022 by the numbers. Specifically, we look at the occurrence of highs of at least 90° and 100°F at 40 sites across Kansas, an update to an earlier eUpdate article from early August.
Kansas Mesonet animal comfort forecast product now available
It has been a year since a major cattle loss event occurred in southwest Kansas. Producers were caught off guard by a sudden transition from cool/wet to hot conditions. As a result, the Kansas Mesonet has collaborated with producers and researchers to provide a forecast product that will predict the potential for animal loss.
Corn development in Kansas during recent high temperatures
Kansas is in the midst of an impressive heat wave. The impact of this heat is causing concern, particularly related to corn development. This article compares this growing season to conditions in 2022, looking at the number of Stress Degree Days. What does this period of heat stress mean for the yield potential?
corn hot weather drought stress heat stress crop development
Extreme heat and Kansas farm income
Moderate or severe drought is prevailing through much of the Corn Belt and many areas of Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska are experiencing extreme drought. New research is summarized in this article on the impact of extreme heat and the profitability of Kansas farms.
drought high temperatures crop insurance hot weather farm stress
July weather summary for Kansas - A cool start, a hot finish
In an eUpdate article last month, we examined the counts of 90-degree days across Kansas this summer. However, a recent stretch of hot weather has nearly erased the negative departure for the first three weeks of July. This article summarizes the month of July in terms of temperature and stress degree days.
A hot day for the record books in Kansas - August 19, 2023
Less than a month after a late July heat wave brought the hottest temperatures in years to parts of Kansas, another heat wave arrived on Saturday, August 19. This event brought even hotter temperatures to Kansas. This article looks at temperatures recorded at Mesonet stations across the state.
A historic heat wave across Kansas: August 19-25, 2023
In the last five weeks, Kansas has endured two stretches of extreme heat. The first occurred during the last 10 days of July. The second heat wave was even hotter than the first and began with a vengeance on August 19. This article looks back on this historic heat wave that affected the entire state of Kansas.