Cotton Planting Conditions Calculator

The purpose of the Cotton Planting Conditions Calculator is to provide decision support for cotton planting. The tool obtains observed temperature and precipitation for the current day, plus forecasted temperature and precipitation data for the next 7 days for the user-selectedlocation. Observed data is obtained from NOAA’s Real Time Mesoscale Analysis. Forecast data comes from the National Weather Service’s National Digital Forecast Database.

Temperatures are used to calculate base-60 degree days for each forecast day, and these are subsequently summed for 5-day moving windows. Cotton planting guidance is based on how many accumulated degree days are expected over a given 5-day period. Temperature and precipitation forecasts are also used to provide additional guidance on anticipated conditions, such as cool temperatures or saturated soils.