| Freezing temperatures are a major destroyer of crops in the United States. This damage totals over 1 billion dollars each year.; Each year approximately 30% of the total fruit crop yield in Utah is lost to damage caused by freezing temperatures during the critical blossoming stage. This thesis suggests that by providing fruit growers with more accurate temperature forecasts, they will be able to make better decisions regarding protection against freezing, and thus increase their overall crop yield.; A computer program has been developed to forecast minimum temperatures for orchards. For this project, I have chosen the Nested Gridded Model - Model Output Statistics (NGM-MOS) for model guidance. Although forecasting remains an imperfect science, improvements are being made all the time. Implementing modern technology may help make today's fruit growers more efficient and productive. |
