HISTORIC NOTE

The publications in this collection do
not reflect current scientific knowledge
or recommendations. These texts
represent the historic publishing
record of the Institute for Food and
Agricultural Sciences and should be
used only to trace the historic work of
the Institute and its staff. Current IFAS
research may be found on the
Electronic Data Information Source
(EDIS)

site maintained by the Florida
Cooperative Extension Service.

Copyright 2005, Board of Trustees, University
of Florida

Contra! Science
Li.r~r 'v
)

Ona Agricultural Research and Education Center

Research

Report

OCT

RC-1986-5

1985 ClimatoldgicaI-Report

June 1986

R.J.

Stephenson

and D. E.

McCloud

Weather conditions

Annua

rainfall

strongly

influence agricultural operations from planting through harvesting.

and temperature cycles along with extremes help producers determine

optimum

times to prepare and plant seedbeds, tc
supplement cattle on pasture or range.

palatability,

and digestibility of harvested plants.

pful to a successful

temperature,

operation.

fertilize

pastures,

to use herbicides

Weather conditions influen

A knowledge of weather

, to control water, and to

ce germination, growth, quality,

cycles and extremes is

This research report presents a summary of rainfall

and solar radiation records for 1985 obtained at the Agricultural Research and Education

Center (AREC),

Ona, Florida.

The station is located 82

central Florida approximately 45 miles
west of the Atlantic Ocean.

(72 km

east of the

W longitude and

270 26'

N latitude

Gulf of Mexico and 100 miles

south

160 km

Weather observations were recorded at 9:00 a.m.

Weather
Bureau

instruments:

shelter

a thermometer

ocated at five feet (1

daily covering the

, and hygrothermograph were housed
25 cm) above ground level.

previous 24-hour period.

in a standard U.

S. Weather

Graphs of weekly precipitation,
presented on page 3 and 4. Da
and 6.

maximum and minimum temperatures,

and solar radiation are

lily temperature extremes and precipitation amounts are given on page

Rainfall:

Total precipitation for 1985 was 44

below the

1942-85 average

than ten days with no precipitation

17 May 3 (1
driest months

days

inches

(113.1

of 53.39 inches (135.6 cm).

February 1

and November 6-19 (14 days

with only 0.53 inches

1.4 cm),

- March

This rainfall was 8.86

inches

There were four periods of more

(13 days), March 6-16

January,

February,

nches (0.9 cm) and 0.46

and Decembe

inches

days),

April

r were the

precipitation,

17.6 cm

Table

wee

respectively.

and August (11.44 inches

3 of this report.

kly rainfall

The greatest monthly precipitation occurred during July (6

or 29.1

Weekly precipitation totals are

occurred during the

wet months

inches

Daily and monthly precipitation amounts are

shown in Graph 1 of this report.

of July and August.

listed

Greatest

Temperature:

There were 24
February, one
freezing: five

3 days of temperatures

below 40 degrees F (4.40 C):

in March and nine in December.

n January and three

There were

in February and December

even

n January,

e

even days with temperatures
. The coldest temperature, 2

in
below
!4 degrees F

(-4.40 C

was recorded December

There were 97 days when the temperature reached 90 degrees F (32.2

C) or more.

June

- - ~ I----- -nI. l

- -. -

I I

-1- - A ^- ^- A -- 1- r rL -az A -- I -A -

A =" -- I --

Solar Radiation:

The 1985 weekly

solar radiation

indexes are shown

n Graph 3.

For interpretation of dry matter

production of plants,
index of 100 is equi

with complete

valent to 1

ground cover, optimum water and fertility (potential growth

5 Ibs per acre (140 kg per hectare) per week.

in May with an index of 140 would have produced a potential growth rate of 1
per hectare) for the week.

the third wee

Ibs per acre (196 kg

Weather

ummary

1943-1985

The greatest yearly precipitation occurred in 1959 when a total of 78.8

recorded.

The highest monthly precipitation was 19.74 inches (50.1

In 1979 the temperature reached 103 degrees

18 degrees F (-7.8 C) on January 13,

F (39.4 C), while the

inches

(200.2

cm) in July of 1960

Table

lowest temperature recorded was

1981.

Table

. Summary of

Precipitation(lnch

es)* by Months

- Ona AREC

1943-85

1985

Min. in

one month

January
February
March
April

July
August
September
October
November
December

Yearl

y total

one month
0.03

Average

8.60
11.91
10.58
18.99
19.74
13.70
16.78

Total
1.27
0.86

6.95
11.44
3.70
3.82

0.04

Difference from
42 year average
-1.33
+0.32

+0.27
+1.05
-1.94
-5.15
-0.46
-1.14
-3.45
-2.16

+0.93

0.16

9.74

53.13

44.53

-1.29
-8.60

* Inches

x 2.54

=s cm

Table

Summary of Temperature

by Months

- Ona AREC

Shelter

Temperature

Ground Temperature

1943-85

1985

943-85
Extreme

1985

Extreme

1985

Extreme

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Year

44.5

1960.80

1984
several
1968.81

68.8

62.6
70.6
71.4"
72.6

946.81

1953

1960,80

x 0.556

Note:

Weather observations were made at 8:00 a.

m. from August

July 1

, 1957 to January 1,

m. from June 1

1962: then 9:00 a.

m. until the

through June 1953 were missing.

,1942 to August 1,

present

1957

at 4:30 p.

Daily records from

Graph

One

Weekly Precipitation

1985

inches

Total year

44.53

Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

Sept Oct

= (F

Graph 2

Ona

Weekly

Temperatures

1985

*** SS ft*^C4 *55** *^*** ff C* S* 55 S. V
a-i

.**** *****..............................................e.....S...................................q...............
0

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Graph 3

Ona

Weekly Solar Radiation

Index

1985

*55't** ** SO*Se* 5-5 S*CSCCCSC-CCSS*C 05**' ti SC ee-f-.-. C*******-S****C *C

~ ~ii...... .................. ...... ...... ..~...... ............

* .... .O C ....C..... S. ........-CS SCS*5S5CCCSC~e~qSs* C... _. _. ..... .. .. ............. ...ese ...e .. ...............~n~o ew.....aS eSf~ e.
* A 55SC550CS S 5 5 C 5* SSCSS5 5 SOS SC5 Co55 S *SCSCCCCS 5C S S W S 5S5* S 5 CS S C S 5 f SCC
^**^ **^A ^ f* W* H* HW *~ f i f ~ K******* B ***^ ******^* ****.^*************

Feb Mar

Nov Dec

9k
.4
I.

Max

Min

Table

Temperature (F)* and Precipitation (inches)** for 1985

- Ona AREC

January
Max Min F

February
Max Min Rm

inches

March

Max Min

inches

Max Min

inches

Max Min

inches

Max Min

inches

inches

81 56
82 63
82 62
74 60
64 47
59 32
65 33
72 44
69 35
71 38
78 47
79 51
52 37
64 44
66 52
64 32
71 48
80 63
66 43
69 38
73 25
42 25
49 28
65 38
72 52

61 34
71 48
77 49
69 49
81 58

85 60
87 67
84 64
79 62
81 62
84 65
85 59
68 44
57 38
70 41
74 51
73 51
61 30
58 29
64 41
53 32
68 39
75 42
79 51
80 56

80 53
82 37
82 60
85 53
85 57
86 56
86 53

84 57
86 57
80 51
82 55
85 59
84 56
86 61
81 56
84 54
84 50
85 63
87 61
85 51
87 51
86 56
85 58
84 64
75 46
68 35
73 45
77 49
70 62
82 51
76 50
82 50
82 50
79 48
79 54
82 50
85 54
85 57

86 57
86 53
65 41
73 42
80 53
85 57
82 61
83 58
85 59
76 49
77 53
82 53
75 65
84 65
83 64
73 56
82 56
83 56
82 58
81 59
85 59
83 56
85 59
85 56
87 57
89 57
89 55
90 55
88 63
88 63

0.02

0.45

0.04

0.20
0.26

85 58
86 58
87 63
85 63
85 63
86 60
86 55
87 58
87 57
89 62
91 63
87 59
91 62
92 65
95 62
94 65
93 59
88 58
86 59
89 59
92 72
93 67
95 65
88 67
87 65
85 60
87 61
88 57
90 62
92 59
94 64

0.10

97 66
93 66
94 67
97 68
99 68
95 67
95 70
96 70
95 66
93 68
95 69
95 69
93 69
87 68

0.04

0.43

85 70
93 68
93 71
94 73
93 67
90 68
90 70
89 68
89 65
90 69
88 72
86 71
88 71
90 74
90 71

69 44

Range 82
Total

76 50
87 29

82 54
87 35

82 56
90 41

2.17

89 62
95 55

92 69
99 65

2.95

* (F -
** Inches

x 0.556

x 2.54

= C

= cm

Table

(continued

Temperature

F)* and Precipitation (inches)** for 1985

- Ona AREC

Max Min

August
Max Min F

September
Max Min Rai

October

Max Min

November

Max Min

December

Max Min

inches

88 71
89 66
90 66
92 68
92 69
93 71
95 74
96 69
89 69
92 70
93 67
92 67
89 68
90 68
88 69
92 69
88 70
86 69
87 68
87 71
87 70
85 73
84 70
87 72
92 72
92 79
92 80
93 72
93 73
92 69

0.16

0.09

0.92

1.89

0.08

0.06

inches
2.12

0.40
0.06

91 66
90 69
91 69
90 69
90 71
93 70
90 73
91 73
88 74
86 71
87 71
93 72
92 73

91 72
92 71
93 71
92 73

92 72
93 72

0.15

93 70

89 71
92 74

86 75

88 74
85 71

82 72
83 71
90 73

inches
1.15

89 71
91 69
90 72

90 71
91 71
92 69
90 72
90 68
91 71

87 69
87 69
85 69
81 69
84 69
86 68
87 70
91 71
92 70
90 71
89 71
88 69
89 68
88 70
87 70

0.43

0.10

inches

88 69
89 70

90 71
89 70
82 67
82 61
86 64
83 69
88 69
89 67
90 67
90 70
88 69
90 68
88 70
90 71
86 71
90 70
89 70
86 69
88 67
88 68
88 69
86 69
86 68
87 70
85 72
89 71
88 67
86 69

84 66
83 61
84 69
87 67
73 46
70 46

inches
1.39

0.03

77 54
82 58
81 59
84 62

0.08

0.03

85 64
85 65
85 62
84 61
84 59
85 65
84 70
83 75
85 74
86 72
83 65
78 65
84 63
82 59
83 60
83 62
85 62
86 67

0.14

0.06

0.04

inches

85 66
84 65
83 49

79 63
72 59
68 42
73 51
73 57
79 59
80 57
80 55
83 62
82 60
62 34
67 37
64 48
63 44
69 49
70 43
68 41
61 30
61 39
65 48
75 56
58 27
49 24
65 38
75 43
76 34
70 38

90 70

Range 96 66
Total

1.89

90 72
93 66

88 70
92 68

88 69
91 61

82 62
87 46

85 24

11.44

* (
** Inches

= C

x 2.54

= cm

Agricultural Re

Research Report

search and Education

RC-1986-1

Center

1986

1984

Climatological Report

R. J.

1/Steph
Stephenson-

Weather

conditions

strongly influence agricultural operations

from

planting through harvesting.

Annual

rainfall and

temperature cycles

along

with

extremes

help producers

determine the optimum times

prepare

and plant

seedbeds,

supplement

to fertilize pastures,

to herbicide,

cattle on pasture or range.

Weather

to control

conditions

water,

influence

germination,

growth,

quality,

palatability

and digestibility

of harvested

plants.

A knowledge of weather

cycles

and extremes

is helpful

successful operation.

This

research report

presents

a summary of

rainfall

and air temperature records

for 1984 obtained at

the Agricultural

Research

and Education

Center

(AREC),

Ona,

Florida.

Daily temperature extremes

and precipitation amounts are

listed on pages

and 4.

The station is

located

W longitude and

N latitude

in southcentral

Florida,

approximately

45 miles

east

the Gulf

Mexico

and 100 miles

(160 knm)

west

of the Atlantic Ocean.

Weather

observations were

recorded at

9:00

a.m.

daily

covering the

previous

24-hour period.

Weather instrument

a thermometer and

hygrothermograph were housed

in a weather box located four

feet

.22 m)

above

ground

level.

Rainfall:

Total

precipitation

for 1984 was

39.00 inches

(99.06 cm).

This

was 14.95 inches

.97 cm)

below the

1942-84 average of

53.95

inches

.03 cm)

There were

periods

of 10 or more days with no

precipitation;

11-20

(10 days)

- June

10 (11

days),

October

11-26

(16 days),

November 6-19

(14 days),

and December

6-26

days)

January

and October

were

the driest months with only 0.

73 inches

(1.85 cm)

and 0.88

inches

(2.24

precipitation,

respectively

The greatest monthly precipitation occurred

during July

(8.35

inches or

21.21

and August

(6.89

inches or

17.50

Daily

and monthly precipitation amounts

are listed in tables

and 2

of this

report.

Temperature:

There were

16 days of

temperatures

below 40 degrees F

(4.40

times

in January

times

in December,

times

in February

March,

and 1

time

in November

There were 3 days with

temperatures

below

freezing: February

temperatures of 310

(29 F

or -1.670

and 2

and December 8

F (-2.

and 9 with

There were 39 days

temperatures

.250

occurring

- September with

, 17,

and 12 days

per month respectively.

The highest

temperature

recorded in

1984

was 940

.440

on 16 July

and 9

August.

1942-1984

Weather

Summary

The greatest

yearly precipitation

occurred

in 1959 when a

total of

78.82

inches

(200

was recorded.

The highest

monthly precipitation was

In 1979

19.74

the temperature reached

inches

103F

.14 cm)

in July of

while

1960

the lowest

(Table

temperature

recorded was

18F

on January

, 1981

Note:

Weather observations were made at

8:00

a.m.

from June

, 1942

_

w v

Table

Temperature

January
Min

(F)1/

February
Max Min Rain

Rain

and Precipitation

March
Min

(Inches) '

April
Min

Rain

For 1984

Rain

- Ona AREC

Rain

50
49
61
70
53
48
45
51
71
66
55
54
68
64
59
52
53
47
47
57
56
66
69
60
47
63
63
59
59
63

Av.
Range
Total

74
0.20 85
0.73

77
.25 85
.92

80
.03 89
.19

86
.02 93
.45

0.73
2.14

(VF-32)
Inches

x 0.556
x 2.54 =

"c.
cm.

49
52
51
63
54
48
48
48
50
60
64
63
64
62
41
52
46
62
57
43

Table

(Cont.)

Temperature

(F0)1/

and Precipitation

2/
(Inches)-

For 1984

July
Min

Rain

August
Min

September
Min Rain

Rain

October
Max Min Rain

November
: Min Rain

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

Av.
Range
Total

1.75
6.89

1.41
3.79

0.52
0.88

-0---
(OF -
Inches

x 0.556
12.54 ff c

= C.
= C.

m.

Ma

I
S

3

Table

Summary

of Precipitation

1/
(Inches)-

by Months

- Ona AREC.

1943-84

Max.

Month

one month

Min.

one month

Average

Total

1984
Diff.
42 vr

from
av.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Yearly total

-1.
+0.
+0.
+1.
-1.
-5.
-0.
-1.
-3.
-2.
+0.
-1.
-14.

Inches x 2.54

- cm.

_

Table 3.

Summary

of Temperature

(F)>

by Months

- Ona AREC

Above Ground

1944-84
Av. Low

Month

1984

Temp.

1944-84
Extreme

1984

Extreme

Ground Level

1984

Temp.
1984

Extreme

January
February
March

April

June

July
August
September
October
November
December

18 (1960,80)
24 (1956)
26 (1948)

48.7
50.0
54.8
58.3
63.1
68.7
70.8
71.5
70.8
64.5
55.8
50.6

33 (19

57,83)

43 (1954,
52 (1984)

62 (

several)

62 (1968,81)
56 ((1945)
42 (1946,81)
25 (1957)
20 (1953)

- 32)

x 0.556