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Big hot dome over Midwest causing stress

A state climatologist says high evapotranspiration rates along with limited precipitation will continue to stress crops for much of July.

“Much of the Midwest and certainly much of the Great Lakes region is showing stress because of the warm, sunny days where there is high atmospheric demand, and the soil moisture is still there at depth but it just can’t supply the demand.”

Michigan State University’s Jeff Andresen says when this warmer than normal weather pattern occurs in midsummer, it can last longer than other times of the year.

“Reductions in soil moistures, increases in moisture stress type conditions here definitely in parts of the Midwest and it probably will include portions of Michigan as well for the next few weeks.”

He says temperature inversions are also possible in mid-to-late evening hours into sunrise which means growers should take caution with herbicide applications near those time periods.