News

Planting window is opening

An ag meteorologist says a taste of summer is coming for many regions of the Corn Belt that have been trending cool and wet.

“We’re going to see a big change in the upper air with a ridge going up over the middle of the country including the Great Lakes Region and that clearly points towards a much, much warmer forecast.”

State climatologist for Michigan Jeff Andresen says troughing over the western U.S. next week will also flip unfavorable dry weather for others.

“Along and to the west of that storm track we will see likely wetter than normal conditions, in the northwestern Corn Belt and into the Plains you can see that, but drier than normal to our south and east, and Michigan is right along that,” he explains.

He says the extended higher temps will warm up and dry out fields, making conditions ideal for planting.

Andresen gave his outlook during this week’s MSU Extension field crops virtual breakfast.