* 2 million is the estimated number of acres of farmland that were flooded in Mid-America that was used for planting corn. There is virtually no recovery of this corn crop. Even the taller corn will rot from the roots upward. Iowa is considered the nation’s number one corn producer.
* 49% is how much of Alabama’s pasture and rangeland is in good condition. That is a great improvement over last year. However, pasture conditions vary greatly. Brenda Glover, Regional Extention Agent in Hale County, reports that many acres of that West Alabama county still in a drought situation. Pasture conditions in Mobile County have improved greatly after recent rains.
* 34 is the number of weather stations that the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Alabama Field Office, Montgomery analyzes each week. Only 5 of those 34 were showing a rain surplus for 2008 as of yesterday when the weekly report was released.
* 70 is the number of bushels per acre expected for the wheat harvest in Alabama this year. The harvest is almost complete and it is the best yield in many years.
* 99 below zero was the temperature this morning at Vostok, Antarctica. It is expected to be 103 below this weekend. The wind chill there yesterday was as low as 150 below zero. That remote weather station still has the “honor” of recording the world’s official low temperature of 129 degrees below zero.
* 1.69 inches is how much rain Lincoln, Nebraska received yesterday–definitely not needed.
* 113 was the high temperature in Phoenix yesterday as they continue to have a very hot early summer. Their temperature has been between 110 and 115 for a week or so.
* 116 was the national high yesterday in Death Valley and at Bullhead City, Arizona.
* 8.64 inches is the rain deficit for Huntsville so far in 2008. However, the 21.53 inches of rain that they have received so far this year is almost twice the 11.25 inches on this same date last year.
* 7.70 inches is the deficit so far in Muscle Shoals.
* 5.78 inches is the deficit for Tuscaloosa and 5.56 inches for Anniston.
* 2.83 inches is the EXCESS for Birmingham Airport. We are sort of an island in the middle of a deficit.
* 26 days is how many times the thermometer reached 90 or hotter last June at Birmingham Airport. Do you remember all of the hot weather last year when we were in the worst of our drought?
* 8 days had 95 degrees or hotter last June. The peak temperature was 98 on the 11th and at least four other days had 97 or hotter.
* 80 was the high at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon yesterday. However, only a few miles away it was 108 at the Phantom Ranch. Only thing is, the Phantom Ranch is in the bottom of the Grand Canyon well over a mile lower in elevation. It was a chilly 38 this morning at Grand Canyon Airport.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I still don’t understand tailgaters and people who absolutely refuse to use their turn indicators.
