On Friday, January 22, 2010, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report stating that a new world record wind speed was recorded on April 10, 1996 in Barrow Island, Australia during Typhoon Olivia. According to the report, the new record stands at 253 mph, far surpassing the Mount Washington, New Hampshire, Observatory’s record of 231 mph recorded on April 12, 1934. Read more here.
A very cold and stormy February may be on tap, according to one forecaster. Click here.
MAYSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The makers of Louisville Slugger baseball bats say they are seriously concerned that the spread of insects that destroy ash trees could affect production. Read more here.
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Earlier this fall, a White Oak sample from a Franklin County community tested positive for Bacterial Leaf Scorch, Xylella fastidiosa. Bacterial Leaf Scorch (BLS) is a chronic and eventually fatal disease that displays its most noticeable symptoms in late summer/early fall. These symptoms include premature leaf browning, marginal necrosis, and defoliation. The symptoms typically begin at the leaf margins and migrate to the midrib of the leaf. The following year the tree leafs out normally, but leaves on a few more branches turn prematurely brown in late summer. This will be repeated over a period of years until the entire tree turns prematurely brown and dieback will occur. Since this can be easily confused with other disorders, it is best to have the suspect tree tested by collecting samples. Below are three Web sites to help you become more familiar with this disease: US Forest Service BLS is seriously affecting urban forests in New Jersey and Delaware, and because of the positive find in Franklin County, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry will conduct a statewide BLS survey in late summer/early fall 2010. Lisa Bowers, the Central Ohio Regional Urban Forester, who is temporarily helping the Forest Health Program, will coordinate this effort. Because the time to collect leaf samples is quite narrow, Lisa will require help. The samples that are collected will be sent off for specialized testing. Sample packaging can be obtained through the ODNR Division of Forestry. For now, if you have questions about the survey, please Email Lisa Bowers. |
On January 18, 1977, the lowest temperature ever recorded in Cincinnati of -25F occurred. It is noteworthy that the coldest records of the year correspond to the coldest average week of the year. This is, on average, the coldest week of the year. It follows the shortest day of the year by one month. The hottest week of the year follows the longest day of the year by one month. Hence, the hottest average temperature and the highest records are in the third week of July.
The months on either side of January, December and February, are correspondingly cold, as are June and August correspondingly warm. Hence the idea of meteorological winter (December-February) and meteorological summer (June -August).
After this week, it starts to get warmer!
By Toni Leland at DavesGarden.com
Nothing to do, and all winter to do it! Now that the chaos of the holidays is over, hunkering down to wait for spring sounds like a great idea, but this can be a wonderful time to make those day trips to places you never have time for when you’re knee-deep in gardening!
This column by economist Walter E. Williams should be required reading for those who buy into the hype connected to global warming. I (Ron) stand behind the scientific claims made in the column, with the exception of the stated time lines:
http://economics.gmu.edu/wew/articles/10/GlobalWarmingIsAReligion.htm
Read more here in Ron’s article in the Cincinnati Horticultural Examiner.
Ohio Department of Agriculture Expands Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine
Department adds 14 counties to existing quarantine
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Jan. 14, 2010) – Ohio’s Emerald Ash Borer quarantine was expanded today by the Ohio Department of Agriculture to include 14 additional counties. The quarantine helps slow the spread of the ash tree-killing insect to uninfested parts of the state by prohibiting the movement of all hardwood firewood and ash tree materials.
While the invasive pest has not been detected in the following 14 counties, the department issues this quarantine to make the movement of ash trees, parts of ash trees and all hardwood firewood more practical among counties that are adjacent to previously quarantined areas. The following counties are now on the quarantine list: Adams, Ashtabula, Brown, Clinton, Coshocton, Fayette, Geauga, Highland, Holmes, Knox, Lake, Madison, Ross and Trumbull.
Since Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered in Ohio in 2003, the department has placed 67 counties under quarantine. The quarantine makes it illegal to transport ash trees, parts of ash trees and all hardwood firewood from any quarantined county into or through a non-quarantined county without a compliance agreement from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Violation of this quarantine could result in fines up to $4,000. A federal quarantine makes it illegal to take these items out of the state of Ohio.
Firewood dealers, businesses or woodlot owners interested in marketing and transporting ash trees or firewood from quarantined areas can do so only with a department-approved compliance agreement. These agreements define handling practices that reduce the artificial spread of Emerald Ash Borer.
Ash trees infested with Emerald Ash Borer typically die within five years. The pest belongs to a group of metallic wood-boring beetles. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length, one-eighth inch wide, and fly from early May until September. Larvae spend the rest of the year beneath the bark of ash trees and leave D-shaped holes in the bark about one-eighth inch wide when they emerge as adults.
Suspected Emerald Ash Borer adults and larva can be confirmed by sending the suspected specimen(s) to the Ohio Department of Agriculture for identification using the form located on the department’s Web site. Visit www.agri.ohio.gov and click on “Emerald Ash Borer Program” located under the “Regulatory Programs” tab. The form is available by clicking “Submit a Sample” on the left-hand side.
For information on the Emerald Ash Borer, maps, compliance agreements, firewood restrictions and quarantine updates, visit www.agri.ohio.gov or call 1-888-OHIO-EAB.
406 AM EST THU JAN 14 2010
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL
INDIANA…SOUTHEAST INDIANA…NORTHEAST KENTUCKY…NORTHERN
KENTUCKY…CENTRAL OHIO…MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO…SOUTH CENTRAL
OHIO…SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO.
.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT.
THERE IS A CHANCE OF FREEZING DRIZZLE TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. IF THE FREEZING DRIZZLE OCCURS AND BECOMES WIDESPREAD A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MAY BE ISSUED.
