Radiolab Calls on East Coasters to Make DIY Early Warning System for Imminent Cicada Swarm

This year a massive & noisy swarm of cicadas will cover vast portions of the East Coast from Connecticut to Virginia in a phenomenon that occurs once every 17 years. The swarm will begin when soil temperatures reach a steady 64 degrees Fahrenheit, triggering juvenile cicadas that have been developing underground for 17 years to emerge and enter their brief adult stage aboveground. To predict the emergence, Radiolab is calling on east coast residents to create a cicada early warning system with a network of DIY soil temperature monitors.