Frost Free Planting

We've definitely had some weird weather going on in Kansas this week. From 70 degree temperatures in the morning to 20s by nightfall, we have basically experienced both ends of the temperature scale this week.

Most of us are ready for spring to be here for good and to get out and start some planting. We are just about to the date where we would expect frost-free conditions around the state. The attached map shows when locations around Kansas typically have their last spring frost. Although we may have another cool down next week, it won't be anything like the cold air we've dealt with this week.

Some have wondered how we could get thunderstorms when the temperatures were so cold. The kind of thunderstorms we had on Tuesday were called "elevated" thunderstorms. They are "elevated" above the cold layer of air. In these types of situations, elevated storms are normally hail producers, and sometimes significant hail producers. Storms that produce tornadoes need to have a connection to the atmosphere near the ground where the temperatures are warm. With such cold temperatures around the area Tuesday, it would've been a difficult task to get a tornado because cold air doesn't rise, and you need that in order for a tornado to form.

Understanding freezing rain. Storms on Tuesday developed in the warm air above the ground, and produced heavy rainfall that ended up freezing on surfaces near the ground.