James:
I don't think so. Emerald ash borer survived last winters cold spell in
Minnesota, which was much colder than the current cold spell.
Temperatures of -15 to -20 F seem necessary to kill hemlock woolly
adelgid. It might get that cold in MA, but it doesn't seem likely to get
that cold in the Smokies.
The current cold snap is being caused by the Arctic Oscillation, which
has reached the most negative reading recorded (since recording began in
the 1950s). It basically is a change in air pressure that squeezes the
polar vortex in such a way that cold air bulges south in the eastern
U.S. and western Europe, while Greenland is much warmer than normal.
The opposite pattern occurs when the AO is positive.
Lee
JamesRobertSmith wrote:
Will this relatively long cold snap here in the South have an effect
on the insect pests that have been plaguing our forests during the
recent years of warm winters? Will it be enough to stunt or kill off
the populations of rampant native and introduce insect pests?
