[Listen] Tom Hoverstad SROC May Weather Month of Extremes

There is an old phrase often used to describe our weather in Minnesota, "it is the average of the extreme." That was very much the best way to describe our May 2021 weather! I always enjoy talking with Tom Hoverstad Scientist at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca about the previous months weather from their official weather station.

The first two weeks of May were very dry with almost no rain which is quite unusual for May in Minnesota. Then the last two weeks there was rain on 10 or 12 of the 14 days. Rainfall for the month totaled 2 and 2/3 of an inch which was a couple inches below normal. It was very welcome as some of the corn and soybeans had been laying in dry soil for quite some time.

Tom said we saw a 61 degree swing in temperatures in May from a high of 89 degrees to a low of 28 degrees. Much of the corn had emerged and had to endure those huge temperature swings. In the picture you can see some of my corn with white leaves Tom believes is the result of really cold temperatures with no growth and then really warm temperatures with rapid growth.

TOM SROC MAY WEATHER

When corn grows very rapidly sometimes the plant cannot produce enough chlorophyll and you will see white leaves instead of green. In a couple days the plant catches up and the leaves turn green. It is a little alarming when you see white corn leaves for the first time. Click on the link and listen to Tom talk about our May weather and the growing season so far.