Tracking showers today; 80F by Tuesday? Spring planting behind schedule

"Maypril" Showers

If you had control of the weather joystick, when would you make it rain? At night... on a Wednesday?

Doug is a farmer near Willmar I had the pleasure of meeting over the weekend.

He's working on putting in 1,700 acres of corn and 1,000 acres of soybeans this week. Monday & Tuesday were ideal for fieldwork. A minor soaking today & tonight may help jump start anything farmers have planted so far.

Our midweek shower shot looks timely for many Minnesotans. The overall weather forecast is much more palatable, and springlike in the next week. Keeping fisherfolk, mom and farmers all happy at the same time is tough, but it may actually happen at some point over the next week.

Get ready to ride the temperature roller coaster...with frost and 80 degrees likely within about a span of 36-48 hours next Sunday-Tuesday.

This is "Extreme Minnesota" afterall.

Radar: Pretty colors today

A modest low pressure system is sliding through the Midwest today and tonight.

Look for an increase in shower coverage today from west to east. Rain will favor the PM & evening hours in the Twin Cities. The best chance of a stray clap of thunder or two comes this evening in the metro.

-Latest Twin Cities radar loop

NOAA's High Resolution Radar (HRR) output suggest a radar screen plastered with rain showers and a few embedded thundershowers by over the metro by 7pm this evening.

Overall rainfall looks to be in the .25" to .50" range for Minnesota...with some local .75" totals possible.

With dew points in the 50s, minimal "surface heating" and an overall lack of wind shear, Any thundershowers that do form appear to be garden variety, "sub-severe" storms.

NOAA's SPC keeps Minnesota in the "general" T-Storm category...but folks in Tornado Alley will need to keep an eye out for some severe T-Storms, primarily "hailers" with the potential for wind damage.

Farmers: Playing catch up in 2013

Spring planting is later than last year, and behind the 5 year running average according to this week's MN Crop Report.

Minnesota farmers had another difficult week getting

into their fields, according to the USDA, National

Agricultural Statistics Service. A late season snow

storm continued to bring moisture to areas that were

already damp and cold. Livestock producers are

concerned about the slow growth of alfalfa and pastures.

The farmers that were able to work outside were busy

with field preparation, fertilizer spreading, and planting.

There were 1.3 days rated suitable for fieldwork for the week ending May 5th, compared with last year's 3.5 days, and the average of 3.2 days. Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 2 percent very short, 15 percent short, 62 percent adequate, and 21 percent surplus.

Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 11 percent very short, 35 percent short, 49 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus. Corn planting, at 2 percent complete, is almost 50 percent behind the 5 year average. Oat planting is 9 percent complete, compared with

96 percent last year, and the five year average of 64 percent. Green peas are 10 percent planted, compared with 76 percent last year, and the average of 47 percent. Producers anticipate full scale fieldwork to begin on May 8t. Pasture conditions improved slightly to 21 percent very poor, 17 percent poor, 38 percent fair and 24 percent good.

Forecast: A little something for everyone

After our showery midweek, Friday looks like a sleeper of a nice day with sun, light winds and highs near 70 in the metro with 60s up north.

Saturday's NW gales of 15-30 mph will create havoc on Minnesota lakes...with whitecaps on open water. I could see the big wind breaking up some ice on the bigger lakes like Mille Lacs...and shoving some "ice drifts" onto the southeast shores.

Sunday looks nicer for mom...followed by a warm front that will boost temps to near 80F by Tuesday.

Frost to 80-degrees in 36-48 hours?

Welcome to Minnesota.

Paul Huttner