How damaging will a late freeze be?

[roarintiger1]

It's late March and everything is green around here.  How about a normal freeze date yet?  It's still March folks.  I think that the last average frost date in my neck of the woods is during the first week of May.  I'm assuming that the wheat crop would suffer the most. Anyone care to guess the impact a late freeze would have on the market?

[jrsiajdranch]

Really damaging if your crops are planted! 

I was thinking about this last week and I looked the farmers almanac forcast for Des Moines.

If that forcast proves to be true it's gonna suck for guys who want to have a huge blow out of trend line yields. also gonna be bad for guys who want a drastic reduction in the price. 

Looks to be an OK year ahead. Looks to be good for livestock guys.

[ND Farmer 1]

I am by no means a weather expert or know frost dates, One thing to keep in mind there is no snow cover to the north of the wheat area. Imho  it is unlikely a cold snap that would harm crops willl have enough intensity to make it that far south to cause any damage. But then i again i could be wrong

[Whitesand_Farms]

It is only March and some wicked storms could roll through yet, I'm not taking any chances maybe start a week earlier than normal at most as I've always got burned by jumping the gun. I have heard talk of local guys starting sooner and all the best to them maybe this will be one of those years when the early bird gets the worm.

[NDf]

Snow cover isn't neeeded fror a cold snap to occcur. Al lthat is needed is for the jet stream to change so that it taps into the extremely cold artic air up north and bring it down. Right now its tapping into warm air to the south and bringing it North  and blocking cold air from moving south.

[ray h.]

2012 weather is spooky at best.I am in W.ORE. and this place has been A banana belt for the last 100 years or more.If we get a snow durring the year its usualy between thanksgiving and about Feb 15. Sometimes the whole state can get some snow and right here in the sothern Willamette valley just cold rain.Woke up wednesday Mar 21st to 7 inches of snow,with 2 more the following evening,I am here to tell you,this is very wierd! After all its only the first day of spring.

[idalivered]

JR, the alfalfa looks so good, but a freeze would be terrible for that. You might be making hay about the 20th of may? As for the other guy's question, a freeze won't hurt n iowa much, 'cause few will plant earlier that the middle of april. Sounds as if there is enough seed corn to plant once. If we have to replant, there might not be replant seed at any price. I have read that the wheat looks very good in oklahoma and kansas. some reports of the flag leaf stage. Now a freeze there would truly be a crop "wrecker". 

[jrsiajdranch]

YOur right on the alfalfa!  I am going to have some extra hay. THought about selling it but may hold off as it is good insurance.

I got one filed of hay on the benedict blacktop that is gonna get ripped up after first dcutting and planted to silage corn. That may happen very early this year! 

I should have all my new seedings in this week.

I want to get some more treees trimmed first.

[oncearound]

i'm almost willing to bet that one particular poster has some "facts" that will prove frosted/frozen crops actually yield more? like in 53 outa 52 plot trials at least!

[idalivered]

Oncearound.... ; )