Illinois Climate Network: Daily Crop Growing Degree-Day Accumulations
Development of crops in Illinois can be projected by maintaining an account of growing degree days or the "heat" accumulated during each growing season. This process involves a comparison of daily maximum and minimum temperatures to a base temperature, specific for a particular crop, above which development will occur.
The Illinois Climate Network (ICN) has created a growing degree day calculator using data collected at its stations across the state. Users begin by selecting the closest weather station to their location and the crop type of interest. Crop degree-day accumulations are tied to planting date, etc. One- and two-week degree-day projections are also provided.
All degree-day information is computed from data collected through the previous day.