Extreme Cold, Unprecedented Snowfall Could Impact Specialty Crops, Livestock

In the last seven days alone, another winter storm and an arctic burst have worked their way across the United States — adding to a very active January of winter weather. 

While there were warnings of a potential storm coming through the Gulf Coast, the snow and cold temperatures — labeled by AccuWeather as “once in a generation” — caused upwards of $14 billion in damages, experts at the weather bureau said late Tuesday afternoon. In some areas of the region, blizzard warnings were issued for the first time in recorded history in anticipation of the storm.

Parts of southeast Texas and Louisiana got over 6 inches of snow, while even Mississippi, Alabama, and northern Florida reported substantial snowfall on the ground.

The arctic burst tore its way through the Midwest and the Corn Belt, eventually impacting up to 41 states and over 230 million people, AccuWeather reported. In Colorado, wind gusts jumped to nearly 80 miles per hour in places in addition to temperatures well below zero.

Impact on Crops Still to be Determined

The impact from the cold snap on winter wheat might be real, but it won’t be known until springtime, said Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather senior meteorologist. He said an area covering nearly 30% of winter wheat production could be at risk given winter wheat begins to take damage at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. In areas without any snow cover, temperatures below -10 could cause damage. Winter wheat is currently dormant.

“Areas to watch that could have received damage were across western Kansas, eastern Colorado, and Oklahoma and other areas that did not have at least 1 inch of snow on the ground for protection,” Pastelok said. “The snow acts like a protector for wheat. Temperatures were below zero for a day or two on this cold blast and below 10 degrees from one of the previous cold shots.”

The impact of the snowstorm and cold snaps on livestock have to be monitored over the coming days, especially in hard-hit areas like the Mississippi Valley in east Texas, Pastelok said. He said livestock adapting to the cold in other parts of the Corn Belt could play a part in limiting higher losses.

“It’s the big storms combined with the cold that lead to higher negative results.This has not happened in the central United States,” Pastelok added.

Specialty crops in the Gulf Coast region might not escape the winter weather unharmed either, with Pastelok pointing out the large amount of sugarcane produced in Louisiana. In south-central Louisiana specifically, an area that accounts for more than 40% of the U.S. sugarcane crop, temperatures are currently under 24 degrees. Pastolek said the longer temperatures stay below that benchmark, the higher risk of crop damage.

North-central Florida has not been spared by the storms yet — Pastolek said the citrus crop is at risk of damage with temperatures dropping near 29 to 33 degrees on Saturday. Damage to citrus crops begins if temperatures sink below 28 degrees for a period of 2 to 3 hours. 

“Vegetables and strawberries are more susceptible to stress and some damage from the cold, especially between Tampa and Orlando,” Pastolek said.

What Lies Ahead?

In the days ahead, Pastelok said he expects the extreme cold to “ease” for the Plains and the Southeast — but there is still the possibility of “sharp, cold air masses from the northern Plains to the Northeast” coming through in the final days of January.

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) predicts above-average seasonal temperatures in much of the Plains and Midwest from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4. Pastolek agreed, adding that he sees periods of above-average temperatures for the Gulf states and southern Plains during the same time period.

As February ebbs into March, Pastolek said there could be cold fronts that pop up in the Plains and head to east — leaving behind above-average precipitation through the Mississippi Valley and into the Appalachian mountains. Warm periods between these cold fronts could help thaw the ground ahead of planting season, he said, in the Ohio Valley and toward the Northeast.