Temperature Extremes

TEMPERATURE EXTREMES

You can certainly have extremes in temperature with times of high heat and times of extremely low heat or what we call "cold snaps. Heat waves come when the heat index and surface temperatures are too high. The heat index factors and the humidity levels are used together when determining how uncomfortable and unhealthy the conditions will be.

We don't often think of heat waves as being extreme weather because we don't see them. The truth is that they can be very severe and damaging to crops, humans, and the economy. Hyperthermia can kill many people who can’t protect themselves and who are physically vulnerable. Drier soils are more likely to erode and ruin the potential to grow crops in a certain area. Wildfires are more common during heat waves as well. Lakes and streams can dry up, killing marine wildlife. Livestock can be killed.

An interesting secondary effect occurs when plants essentially close up shop during a heat wave. In order to conserve water, they close their pores and quit many essential functions. This tends to increase the percentage of ozone in the air and the amount of pollution in the air. High pollution levels have been known to cause illness and deaths in humans. High electricity use is common in heat waves as well, so you can expect an increased risk of power outages.

Cold waves are also common in all parts of the world. A cold wave in the United States means that the temperature will drop over a short period of time, such as within a twenty-four hour period. This can be dangerous to industries, agriculture, and other parts of our economy. A cold wave is determined by the amount of temperature reduction and not by the absolute temperature.

Cold waves can happen anywhere, causing mostly death to wildlife and livestock. Humans can die if they cannot find shelter. Animals need to take in more food when it is cold, so if food is unavailable because of ice and snow, this becomes hard to do. Farmers may not be able to support their livestock's food needs either. These are some things that make death from cold more likely.