Degree Day Information for Iowa


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Degree Day Map
Base-50 degree days. (Accumulated degree days shown; departure from average shown in parentheses.)
May 1, 2004 through July 4, 2004.

What does -182 mean?

We are now in the heart of pollen shed for corn in Iowa. Most parts of Iowa have sufficient available moisture, and temperatures are favorable for successful pollination.

Seasonal accumulated degree days are running around 100 degrees below average across Iowa, with northwest Iowa trailing the other regions at -182. So what does that mean? Remember that the biggest use of degree days is to track crop and pest development, especially during vegetative stages of development. In fact, crop year 2004 is actually a bit ahead of the previous three years in heat accumulation as of middle July. So, not to worry--for now. What we need now are reasonable temperatures and occasional rain to favor seed set and fill until physiological maturity.

Updated July 22, 2004.

More about degree days:

How and why
we measure
degree days

(5/17/2004)

Degree days and
crop management

(4/6/1998)


Updated each Wednesday until July 22, after which it is updated monthly.
Provided by Rich Pope, Extension Specialist
Department of Entomology, Iowa State University,
Ames, Iowa. Original weather data from
Midwest Climate Information Center
.
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This page is part of the Iowa State Entomology site. Last updated 7/22/04 by John VanDyk