Soggy spring so far; 70 and sunshine Saturday?
Ask a Minnesota farmer about making a living in this hearty climate and weather and you'll get an earful. Growing crops in one of the world's most volatile climate zones can be a monumental challenge.
Many Minnesota farm fields are soggy again this spring. This week's Minnesota Crop Report shows nearly half of soils in Minnesota are soaked with surplus moisture. Just 2 days last week were considered suitable for fieldwork. The southeast half of Minnesota has been cool and wet this first month of the "warm season."
Here's the latest on field conditions from this week's Minnesota Crop Report.
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Spring field work started but was limited to 2.0 days suitable
for field work during the week ending April 28, 2019,
according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Field activities for the week included some fertilizer
application, some rock picking and limited seeding of various
crops.
Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short,
0 percent short, 54 percent adequate, and 46 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short,
1 percent short, 51 percent adequate, and 48 percent surplus.
A little drier
Tuesday's showers fade by early Wednesday morning. Two minor shower systems cross Minnesota the rest of the week. One passes by Wednesday night, the other Friday night. Both systems focus most of the rain on the northern half of Minnesota.
Spectacular Saturday
A little weather optimism can be a good thing in Minnesota. Saturday's forecast gives us something to look forward to. The latest models still show abundant sunshine and temperatures that will make a run at 70 degrees across southern Minnesota. Highs in the 60s should reach all the way to the Iron Range and North Shore Saturday. Northwest Minnesota may settle for 40s and 50s behind the next cold front.
We'll take it.
Saturday brings the warmest day of the next week. A few models favor warmer temperatures Monday.
Skywarn training ahead
If you've ever wanted to become a severe weather spotter here's your chance. These sessions are informative even for novice weather enthusiasts.
Severe weather season is on the way, folks.