Another Cold Spring

Last spring, the amount of precipitation was higher to this point and the average temperature was lower. But this spring is turning out worse for area farmers trying toplant. A lot of the secret to a successful crop is not what the temperatures are or what the total rainfall is. Instead, it is more about the timing of these things. This spring, we have had bad timing. The winter snowpack was not all that impressive and it had mostly melted by the middle of March. Since then it has failed to warm up except on a couple of token days. The cool and cloudy weather greatly slowed evaporation and so the fields were slow to dry. Just when the fields were about ready for field work, we got those two big rains in late April. Since then, it has been so cloudy and showery that fields remain wet. Growers are getting antsy and with good reason. The weather will continue to warm gradually but things will likely remain cooler than average. Crops will need a favorable summer and early fall to mature properly. That and better timing.   Meteorologist John Wheeler