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Frost Protection Tools, Upcoming Cold Hardiness Webinar, and Team Additions

Written by Jaitun Patel, Weather Data Scientist, 11/06/2024

Last month, AgWeatherNet conducted an online discussion as part of its Weather with AgWeatherNet series. We presented a new forecasting platform aimed at improving frost protection strategies for fruit crops, especially through the optimal use of wind machines. This platform, which is designed to detect atmospheric inversions, offers growers a valuable tool to manage frost events more effectively and ensure better crop resilience.

We provided an overview of atmospheric inversions and their role in frost protection, along with a live demonstration of our new inversion forecasting. AgWeatherNet offers inversion forecasts for 24 tower stations which users now have access to for monitoring inversion conditions across the state.

For those who missed the session, the complete presentation will be available soon on our YouTube channel @AgWeatherNet.

Upcoming Event

Cold Hardiness Models for Grape and Blueberry

Mark your calendars for an insightful webinar on November 13, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, where we’ll be delving into cold hardiness models specifically for grape and blueberry crops. This session will include a live demonstration of the models, discussing underlying assumptions and providing hands-on guidance for growers.

In addition, we’ll be sharing recent research from WSU CPAAS, which compares bud and air temperature measurements. This research examines the feasibility of incorporating both metrics into cold hardiness models, offering growers new insights for making informed decisions. More details on the event can be found on our events page.

Meet Our New Team Members

Josh Ward, Meteorologist

Josh Ward, Field Meteorologist

Josh received Bachlors Degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of North Carolina Asheville, minoring in both Mathematics and Astronomy. When time permits, he loves to snowboard, hike, and mountain bike —adding an adventurous spirit to our team!

Supraja Peri

Supraja Peri, Front-end Developer

Supraja, a graduate of Cleveland State University with a Master’s degree in Computer Science, brings extensive experience in building scalable and user-friendly web applications. Her focus on seamless interface design will enhance our users’ experience as they navigate AgWeatherNet’s growing suite of digital tools.

Contact

Jaitun Patel, Weather Data Scientist

Jaitun Patel

Weather Data Scientist

jaitun.patel@wsu.edu


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