Agriculture, Natural Resources & Climate

Agricultural Weather and Climate

• National Agricultural Statistics Service
  • Wisconsin Crop Progress
    (formerly Wisconsin Crop Weather)
    
  • National Crop Progress and Condition
    National map of Days Suitable for Fieldwork and Soil Moisture
     
  
  
• Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC)
• Midwest Climate Watch
• Season to Date Modified Growing Degree Day Maps for Midwest -- updated daily by MRCC
• Last spring freeze map in Wisconsin (updated daily in spring season by MRCC)
• First fall freeze map in Wisconsin (updated daily in fall season by MRCC)
• Length of frost-free season (32 deg F) for 1981-2010 normals from NCDC data


• US Department of Agriculture
  • Weather and Climate
  • Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin (WAOB)
    for Current Bulletin and WAOB archives beginning in Jan 1971
  • Global Climate Change

  NOTE: For definitions of terms such as (top and sub-soil moisture, days available for field work and general crop conditions) used by NASS see National Crop Progress - Terms and Definitions

  
  
• Midwest Specialty Crop Decision Calendars and Fact Sheets
  During drought years -- Courtesy National Integrated Drought Infomation System (NIDIS)
  • Midwest Crop Decision Calendars:
  Each calendar features up to four categories: crop phenology, management decisions, drought concerns, and outcome observed.
  • Midwest Apple
  • Midwest Grape
  • Wisconsin Cranberry
  • Wisconsin Irrigated Potato
  • Midwest Crop Drought Monitoring Fact Sheets:
  Drought Monitoring Resources for:
  • Perennial Fruit Crops in the Midwest -- Through the Seasons
  • Cranberry Crops in the Midwest -- Through the Seasons
  • Annual Vegetable Crops in the Midwest -- Through the Seasons
  
  
• Wisconsin Weather and Climate Synopsis by County (Univ. of Kentucky)


• UW Extension Ag Weather
  • Archived data from Volunteer Weather Observers around Wisconsin
  • Automated Weather Data (AWON)
  • Solar Radiation Data
  • Evapotranspiration Model
  • 1-Century Day-of-Year Calendar


• US Naval Observatory
  • Sunrise/sunset times, seasons, and lunar information
  • Official US Time


• Global Vegetation Health Products - NOAA/NESDIS

            World-Greenness  (Smoothed NDVI)

• Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI)(National Drought Mitigation Center)
• Current Continental US map
• Current Wisconsin map
• Major World Crop Areas and Climatic Profiles
USDA
 
• World Agricultural Weather Highlights USDA
  
• Regional Climate Maps from NOAA Climate Prediction Center
• Extreme Minimum Temperatures for
  Weekly, 1-month, 3-month, 12-month
   
• Extreme Maximum Temperatures for
  Weekly, 1-month, 3-month, 12-month
   
• Precision Agriculture, Lawn, & Garden Weather Forecasts by County
  from (University of Kentucky)


• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO)
  • Climate Impact on Agriculture (Climpag)
  • Statistics Division

Soil

• Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) Stations in Wisconsin
  (from National Water and Climate Service, USDA/NRCS)


• Crop Progress and Condition Animated Maps from USDA/NASS
  see especially Topsoil Moisture maps


• Regional Soil Moisture & Drought on our Water Systems page
   
• National Soil Moisture on our Water Systems page

Growing Degree Days

• Long-term variations of Modified Growing Degree Days (base 50°F, ceiling 86°F) Statewide and:
  

  Northwest	North central	Northeast
  West central	Central	East central
  Southwest	South central	Southeast

• Current maps of degree days for Wisconsin
  (from UW Extension Ag Weather)
  • Generic degree day calculator
    with user-specified threshold temperatures
  • Corn-Specific Growing Degree Days
  • Alfalfa Weevil Degree Days
  • Potato-Development Degree Days
  • Tree Pest Development (base 50°F)
     
• Season-to-date Modified Growing Degree Day Maps for Midwest
  (from Midwestern Regional Climate Center) [Maps are generated daily during growing season and posted by 11:30 am Central Time)

Plants

• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and Explanation


• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
  • Crop Production
  • Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates for US Field Crops
   
• Major World Crop Areas and Climatic Profiles (USDA)


• Ecological Site Information System (ESIS) from NRCS


• Forage
  • University of Wisconsin
    Forage Research and Extension
    Pastures for Profit (a pdf file)
    
  • US Dept. of Agriculture
    NRCS National Range and Pasture Handbook
  • Web Soil Survey (USDA/NRCS)

• Corn
  University of Wisconsin Wisconsin Corn Agronomy
• Soybeans
  University of Wisconsin The Soy Report

Livestock

• Heat stress graphs for a variety of animals, provided Iowa State University:
   Background
  • For cattle
  • For swine
  • For laying hens
  • For 15-week hen turkey
• Description of Cattle Comfort Advisor from Oklahoma Mesonet
• National Cattle Heat Stress Forecasts from USDA Ag Research Service
  

Conservation

• National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - Wisconsin
  • Climate
  • Wind Rose Data
  • National Water and Climate Center
 
• US Forest Service (USDA) - Eastern Region (includes Wisconsin)
  other US Forest Service Offices


• National Atlas - Environment


• US Environmental Protection Agency - Water (Wisconsin is in region 5)

Additional Agricultural Data for Wisconsin from USDA/NASS