Weekly Weather and Crop Update

I saw another sign of spring Thursday morning.  It was the first Weekly Weather and Crop Update form the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca. The first figure I looked at was the soil temperature at the 2 inch depth. It was actually warmer than I anticipated at 46 degrees. The 25 year average is 53 degrees. However, these temperatures are observed on bare soil. Most farmers leave some crop residue on the soil surface so the temperatures would be a little cooler.

This April will be remembered as the worst in history for field work. April so far has averaged 15 degrees below normal. On April 7th we recorded the lowest high temperature ever at 20 degrees. Snowfall for April totaled 22.9 inches which was another record. There is one more record that likely will be recorded this year. The latest ice out date on Clear Lake in Waseca is April 27th. I will check with Tom Hoverstad at the Southern Research and Outreach Center tomorrow for the "official" word about the ice on Clear Lake!