Author Archives: Daryl Ritchison

ET Measurements

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

Evaporation is simply the process of liquid water being converted to water vapor.  If this process involves plants, then it is referred to as transpiration.  The amount of water evaporated into the atmosphere varies not only from season to season, … Continue reading →

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Flower Trouble

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

Abnormally warm springs have advantages and disadvantages.  The warm weather allows for earlier planting, the rebirth of spring to occur ahead of schedule and there is just the overall pleasure of the warmer temperatures.  But there is one noticeable disadvantage, … Continue reading →

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Back to the 80s

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

The 83 degree high temperature this past Thursday was the first 80 degree day of the year.  The long-term average for such an occurrence is May 6 so it occurred right near the average.  Last year Fargo Moorhead did not … Continue reading →

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It is Your Latitude

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

The climate in this area is dominated by two factors; our continental location and our latitude.  Although not recognized by the United States Geological Survey, the area around Rugby, North Dakota is considered by many to be the geographic center … Continue reading →

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The Last Frost

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

From 1881 through 2011 the average last frost in Fargo Moorhead was May 13.  The current 30 year average (1981 through 2010) is May 8.  Using either average, this tends to be the time of year when we record the … Continue reading →

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Our Rainy Season

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

May in some ways could be considered the start of our rainy season. Climatologically, Fargo Moorhead is quite dry from November 1 through April 30. That six month stretch averages just 5.8 inches of rain and melted snow with nearly … Continue reading →

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Storm Reports May 3

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

Reports from the strong cell that passed through southern North Dakota and parts of west central Minnesota around midnight. PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT…SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 751 AM CDT THU MAY 03 2012 ..TIME… …EVENT… …CITY … Continue reading →

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April Warmth

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

After the record breaking March, April may have appeared to be a let down weather wise.  I was actually surprised by how many conversations I had in which people were talking about how the weather turned cold and wet during … Continue reading →

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March and April Record

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

This past March, you will likely recall, was the warmest on record.   The previous warmest March was set back in 1910.  April 1910 was also a mild month and currently ranks as the 26th warmest April on record.  The combination … Continue reading →

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Fear of Ice Death was Greatly Exaggerated

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Daryl Ritchison

Back in September 2007 when the Arctic sea ice reached the minimum extent recorded since 1979, it generated quite a bit of news coverage.  Many so-called experts went on to predict that the Arctic Ocean would be ice free during … Continue reading →

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