Weekly Weather and Crop Update

I read with interest the weekly weather and crop update from the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca. The best way to describe last week's weather, a wasted week! Temperatures averaged 50.9 degrees, 9.6 degrees below normal. It rained every day last week and we accumulated 2.32 inches, which is 1.42 inches above normal. Growing degree units totaled only 30.5 and that is 64 percent less than normal. Last year this week was beautiful. Temperatures averaged 63.6 degrees and only .04 inches of rain fell. Compared to this year's growing degree unit accumulation of only 30.5, last year we received 233.

It rained nine days in a row at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca. The report did not mention if that was a record, but at any rate that is a lot of persistent rain. Because of the low temperatures there was very little crop progress. In addition there are still a lot of beans that need to be planted. One record was set last week, not one you would like to see. On May 22 the high temperature was only 47 degrees. That was one degree lower than the lowest high temperature reading for that date. Bring on the warm sunshine!