Just a couple of months ago, we were noting how dry it was. In fact, during the entire month of October, we received less than one inch of rain. Fast forward to December, and it was an entirely different story, as multiple storms led to a whopping 8.40" of rain for the month. This is more than twice the "normal" total of 3.70".
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| We've been damp and dreary for most of December and January. |
Just as 2023 ended, 2024 is also starting out in unusual fashion. With only a couple of days left in January, the precipitation total stands at a hefty 7.30". Combined with December, you're looking at well over 400,000 gallons of water falling on every acre during the past two months.
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| Water, water everywhere... |
As is often the case, when we closed the books on 2023, the precipitation total for the year was close to average--actually within 10% of the historical number. However, the peaks and valleys (all or nothing) rain events do appear to be occurring increasingly often.
What do these weather extremes mean from a both a turf management and golf playability perspective? If this trend continues, facilities may very well need to invest in both state of the art irrigation systems to precisely add needed water, as well as expansive drainage systems to remove excess water.
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