PEORIA, Ill. – Storms that dump more water than expected can bring negative effects to an area that is more than just flooding.
That’s according to state climatologist Trent Ford, who is appearing at Illinois Central College’s North campus on Thursday at 6:00 P.M. to discuss the past, present, and future of weather in Central Illinois. Topics expected to be discussed include weather history and what he expects for future weather patterns.
Ford is part of the Illinois Water Survey, where his role includes weather data collection, research, and public outreach.
The Roanoke-native talked to WMBD’s “Greg and Dan Show” about some of the topics. One of which is the impact erosion from large storms has. He says for farmers, that can lead to nutrient runoff and indentation of crops — but adds everyone can be affected by it.
“When we have this sedimentation that’s caused by extreme rainfall, it can actually make us, down the road, more vulnerable to drought by reducing the overall depth of our reservoirs and our streams where we pull our water out of,” Ford said.
Another topic that Ford touched on is a recent trend of how seasons have been changing in terms of when they start and end. He said the hot weather of the summers have been expanding and the winter season has been shrinking. In addition, winters have been more mild with less extreme cold temperatures.
Ford said the mild winters is leading to some changes in migration patterns.
“For example, the gulf coast tick. And with milder winters, we’re seeing those creatures being able to winter farther north. Which means they’re able to spread in higher numbers during the winter time,” Ford said.
Ford added that vegetation, particularly fruit trees such as apple trees, are able to bloom earlier in the year. But that leaves them more prone to freezing in the spring.
