Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Carrington Research Extension Center * North Dakota State University
P.O. Box 531, Oakes, ND 58474-0531, Phone: (701) 742-2744, FAX: (701) 742-2700, E-mail:					Blaine.Schatz@ndsu.edu
					Leonard.Besemann@ndsu.edu
WEATHER AND IRRIGATION 2015
Table 1.  Precipitation and temperature
Table 2.  Growing degree units
Table 3.  Dates of last and first frosts
Table 4.  Irrigation water applied
	The winter of 2014 - 2015 began with an early snow and cold weather in November followed by warmer temperatures in December that carried into January.  February saw the return of the colder temperatures experienced in November.  Even with the early snowfall in November the winter concluded with below-average snowfall amounts.  No record low temperatures were recorded,  Most field work and planting dates were near average.  The last frost in the spring was on May 19.  The maximum temperature equaled or exceeded 90°F twelve times; once in June, four times in July, five times in August and twice in September.  The highest temperature was 98°F on September 3.  Precipitation nearly doubled the long-term average in May.  With the exception of May, precipitation was below the long-term average April to October.  The mean daily temperatures were within two degrees of the long-term averages for the season except for October which was four degrees above-average.  The first frost was September 29 with the first hard frost (≤ 28°F) October 9.  All crops reached maturity before frost.  Growing degree units in 2015 were above the long-term average.
Table 1.  Precipitation and temperature at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
	Precipitation			Average daily temperatures
Month	2015	15-year average	25-year average	2015	15-year average	25-year average
	-------------------------- inches ------------------------			--------------------------°F --------------------------
April	0.17	1.54	1.54	46	44	44
May	6.00	3.40	3.24	54	56	57
June	3.19	4.71	4.34	68	67	66
July	0.77	2.65	3.14	71	71	71
August	1.30	2.36	2.12	68	69	69
September	0.80	2.62	2.71	63	61	60
October	1.86	2.04	2.16	50	46	46
Table 2.  Growing degree units1 at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
Month	2015	10-year average	15-year average	25-year average
May	260	308	296	308
June	529	507	505	499
July	637	656	655	629
August	560	584	580	581
September	455	375	383	373
	2441	2430	2419	2388
1Growing degree units = (Tempmax + Tempmin)/2 - 50.  If Tempmax is greater than 86, then
Tempmax = 86.  If Tempmin is less than 50, then Tempmin = 50.  Temperature is in degrees F.
Table 3.  Dates of last and first frosts.
		2015	10-year average	15-year average	25-year average
Last frost in spring
	32 °F or less	19-May	6-May	6-May	5-May
	28 °F or less	27-Apr	23-Apr	27-Apr	26-Apr
First frost in fall
	32 °F or less	29-Sep	5-Oct	3-Oct	1-Oct
	28 °F or less	9-Oct	12-Oct	9-Oct	7-Oct
Frost free period (days)		133	154	155	150
Table 4.  Irrigation water applied, 2015.
Study	Irrigation water applied
	inches
Dry edible bean variety trials	10.0
Field corn hybrid performance trial	13.9
Onion hybrid performance trial	12.5
Onion weed control study	12.5
Optimum corn stover removal for biofuel
corn on corn	12.0
corn on soybean	12.0
soybean on corn	12.0
Potato trials	12.6
Soybean Sclerotinia study	15.7
Soybean studies	11.5
Soybean variety performance trials, Roundup Ready®	11.5
Soybean variety performance trials,Liberty Link	11.5
Soybean study - Mosaic	11.5
Strip-till
corn on corn	12.0
corn on soybean	12.6
soybean on corn	11.5
Sunflower study*	4.4
Sugarbeet	12.8
*Received additional irrigation via the misting system
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