Modified Growing Degree Days, Base 50°F

LOCA simulations of the change in the annual total modified growing degree days (gddmod), a measure used to estimate the growth and development of corn during the growing season. Modified growing degree days are the annual cumulative number of degrees by which the daily average temperature is greater than 50°F. However, before calculating the daily average temperatures, daily maximum temperatures above 86°F and daily minimum temperatures below 50°F are set to those values (the assumption being that corn development is limited once the temperature exceeds 86°F or falls below 50°F). Maps are presented for the “Historical Climate”, “Lower Emissions”, “Higher Emissions”, and “Upper Bound” for three future time periods, as described above. Units for “Historical Climate” maps are degree days (degrees Fahrenheit). Units for “Lower Emissions”, “Higher Emissions”, and “Upper Bound” maps are change in degree days (degrees Fahrenheit).

Graphs are also presented depicting the multi-model mean and 5-95th percentile model distributions of “gddmod” under both higher and lower emissions for two urban areas, as described above. Units for graphs are degree days (degrees Fahrenheit).