USDA Updates Climate Zone Map

Total Head

Total Head

Well-Known Member
i'm so excited. apparently north america has warmed in the past 20 years or so and now a lot of us are considered to be in a warmer area than the old map reflected. this means that a lot of us can attempt to grow things that may have seemed a bit silly before. fig trees in boston! northern wine industries are diversifying their grapes. japanese maples in lincoln, nebraska.

here's the AP article http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iFwYa8UxfWPb_dstbvmDMr8ZZfwA?docId=8152c88d175d4b3f811c2a6ec0a12c30

a lot of us have gone up an entire zone. it's only based off the estimated coldest temperature of the year, but it's a change. the new map also reflects how cities are warmer than the sticks, winds, slopes, bodies of water, etc. on my next trip to the hydro store i'm going to check out what kind of stuff they have. only a few more weeks till i start my plants inside.
 
mcpurple

mcpurple

Well-Known Member
its cool that they updated it but i thin kit is bad for farmers who depend on the crops. the weather makes it hard to plant on the right dates and what not.
 
smokey de bear

smokey de bear

Active Member
Nice I wish Canada would update theirs, this is true for the farmers or they will just have to adapt and grow different crops.
 
Creeper38

Creeper38

Well-Known Member
It's nice to be able to grow something that maybe you thought you couldn't before but it's 10x's shittier that we have f'ed up the climate enough that we are changing it considerably.
I live in northern MN and the coldest it has gotten this year is -9. That is UNHEARD of. We normally get a few nights by now that push -30 - not this year. Hell, the record low for MN was set about a hour away from here at -60. I know it has a lot to do with el Nino and la nina, jet streams and ocean currents but this winter in northern MN has been consistently 20-30 degree temps for highs. That is easily 10 degrees warmer than average... and that is a huge difference. We usually have 2 or 3 feet of snow on the ground right now... today there is 2 inches on the ground... and that's because it snowed an inch and a half yesterday... no lie. It helps the heating bill but at what cost??

But I digress... it's good to see they have updated the map to accurately reflect the current climate.
 
mcpurple

mcpurple

Well-Known Member
smokey de bear said:
Nice I wish Canada would update theirs, this is true for the farmers or they will just have to adapt and grow different crops.
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its not that we have to do different crops, its that we have to figure out when the right time to plant is cuz frost dates have changed. so if we plant when we normally do their is a high risk of it freezing and being a waste of time and money.
we will all adapted, it will just be a pain in the ass

dannyboy602 said:
does anyone still use the farmer's almanac? does canada have one? just wondering.
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haha never heard of one. on the farm we just use the notes kept by the owners and bosses. like 1st and lost frots dates of year. pretty much a record book
 
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