FORECAST DISCUSSION: Thursday, August 3: *** 3 August Disease Update: First report from Oklahoma *** Our thanks to John Damicone with Oklahoma State University, who reports serious infections of downy mildew in Payne, Okfuskee, and Love Counties in fields of watermelon and cantaloupe. Payne and Okfuskee Counties are in east-central OK while Love County is in south-central OK adjacent to the TX border. Recent weather has been favorable and he indicates the disease is probably more widespread than has been reported. This source region is being added to the forecasts. The trajectory launch point will be Mason, OK in Okfuskee County. This is centrally located and is likely the best spot to represent the infections (reported and undiscovered/unreported) located about the state.
*** 1 August Disease Update: First report from North Carolina *** Downy Mildew was reported on research plots of summer squash in Hendersonville, NC on July 31. This is a minor outbreak but recent weather has been favorable for disease development.
*** Unsettled weather continues in the Southeast *** A very moist, tropical-like atmosphere will persist in the Southeast for the next few days. Scattered to numerous afternoon showers and thunderstorms will be a daily event from the Carolinas southward into Florida. However, during the next two days, the upper-level trough will weaken and lift out while a lobe of high pressure extends westward over the Southeast at the surface. Consequently, skies will become more sunny to partly cloudy and afternoon thunderstorms will be more isolated to scattered in nature. HIGH RISK on Thursday and Friday for central and northern FL and southern GA. Strongly Moderate Risk for southwest NC and northwest SC. Saturday through Monday..... long-range transport is not expected. An isolated or scattered shower may cause some localized disease development, with the better chances in FL. In TX and OK..... Low Risk for growers through the weekend. As in the Southeast, an afternoon shower in the right location may give rise to some localized development. Chance of that happening lessens during the weekend.
TK
Images courtesy of Tom Isakeit
Current Sources:
Previous Sources:
Ciudad Mante, Mexico
Colima, Mexico
This service is provided by the North Carolina State University departments of Plant Pathology and Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences.