Weekly Weather and Crop Update

The dry weather pattern we have been in all spring abruptly ended last week. Rainfall at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca totaled 2.19 inches which was 1.89 inches above normal. The annual rainfall and monthly deficits were erased in one rain event over the weekend. The Waseca area and my farm farther South were fortunate because many areas received 4 to 5 inches of rain! We were fortunate because the corn and pretty well all of the beans have been planted.

The cool trend continued last week as temperatures averaged 56.8 degrees and that was 2.3 degrees below normal. So far the entire month of May has been 4 degrees below normal. It is no surprise that growing degree units last week were 26 percent below normal totaling only 56. Since May 1 we have accumulated 140.5 growing degree units. Remember though, that most of the corn in our area was planted from April 20 to May 1. So we were accumulating growing degree units before they officially began counting growing degree units on May 1.