Ned Birkey...The weather has been great as we have had rain and some warmer temperatures to try to catch up on some growing degree units. We will need a warm September and early October to allow full season soybeans to reach their yield potential.

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Bruce MacKellar...Growing seasons are all unique and the 2009 growing season was no exception. What started out as an extremely wet and cool spring, ended up as a very dry and cool summer. Planting was delayed in many areas with large wet areas simply not being planted. This was especially true in southern Berrien County where the fields remained unworkable until June.

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Ned Birkey

Weather
It has been wonderful for tourists and parades. Using a starting date of May 1, Monroe County is about 180 GDD behind last year and also the 30-year average. Fortunately, this area had about 2.5 inches of rain a week ago. We are still short on soil moisture this growing season, but this was a “million dollar” rain. Farmers have been talking about an early frost since the August 12 USDA Crop report.

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Bob Battel...The weather has been dryer and cooler than we would like the past couple of weeks. It’s been especially cool during the nights. We are still in the situation, as is the rest of the state, of hoping for a late frost to help get crops to maturity.

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By Ned Birkey... It has been hot and humid with several general rains of one-half inch or more during the past two weeks. As of yesterday Monroe County is 90 growing degree days behind 2008 and 120 behind the 30-year average.

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By Fred Springborn and Roger Peacock... Summer weather has prevailed over much of the region in the last two weeks. Ample, and in a few cases excessive, rain fall coupled with warm temperatures have spurred crop growth.

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By Paul Gross... The warmer weather over the past two weeks has improved GDD accumulation across central Michigan. While we are still behind normal, crops are progressing and it will be a race to maturity.

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By Ned Birkey... It has been both cool and dry and now warm and dry. This area has had only two days of 90°F temperatures all summer, though more hot weather is forecast for this weekend. The daytime highs are not too far below normal, but the nighttime lows have been chilly at times. We are very short of rain.

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By Bruce MacKellar... The 2009 growing season seems to have been the same old story for southwest Michigan. Drought conditions in the southwest region continue to worsen, causing significant yield losses across the board on field and forage crops.

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By Ned Birkey... It has been generally cool and extremely dry, with scattered and locally isolated and moderately heavier rain coming Wednesday, July 22. The storms of two weeks ago on Saturday only produced a few tenths of an inch, with one location in Washtenaw reporting ¾ inch from that storm. Otherwise fields are extremely dry with the lack of rain.

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By Fred Springborn and Roger Peacock... Dry weather has prevailed again over much of the last two weeks with relief arriving yesterday, July 22, with approximately one inch of rain over much of Montcalm County. High air temperatures have been in the 60’s and 70’s.

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By Paul Gross... The region is receiving widely scattered showers this week. Everyone has been getting some rain, but the amounts ranged from 0.25 inch to 3.0 inches.

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By Bob Battel... Temperatures remain cooler than normal, and crop development is delayed as a result. At this point, folks are hoping for a warmer than average September and a late frost for crops to mature.

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By Ned Birkey... It has been cooler than normal since spring, except for a brief hot spell during the first week of summer. We could use some rain.

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By Bruce MacKellar... The last two weeks have been mostly dry over much of the southwest region.

With corn and soybeans reaching the accelerated growth stages, we are hitting the dry spell just as the plants water usage is beginning to ramp up substantially. We have seen both corn and soybeans showing signs of drought stress over the last couple of days on lighter soils.

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By Fred Springborn and Roger Peacock... Dry weather has prevailed over the last two weeks over much of the area with just a few areas picking up a trace to 0.5 an inch of rain this week. High air temperatures have been in the 60’s and 70’s.

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By Paul Gross... It has been well over a week since the last beneficial rain. This time of year crops can use rain every week. The region will need rain soon to maintain crop growth. The temperatures have been great for sleeping, but crops could use more heat. Normal temperatures for this time of year would be welcomed as GDD are below normal. We need to do some catching up.

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By Bob Battel... We have been cooler than normal, and crop development, for the most part shows that. The area received about 0.7 inch during a two-day event Monday and Tuesday, June 29 and 30. We could use another nice rain.

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By Ned Birkey... It turned summer-like once summer officially started Sunday, June 25. After two-plus inches of rain last Friday and Saturday, temperatures are above normal and even hot (90°F-plus). Some soil compaction has occurred due to the heavy rains of last week and now with the hot sun “baking” the soil.

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By Bruce MacKellar... Severe thunderstorms in the warm air sector of an advancing cold front dropped heavy precipitation, produced high winds, and localized hail across the region overnight Thursday and Friday, June 18-19. Tornadoes were reported in Van Buren, Allegan and Kalamazoo counties with damage reported to some structures.

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By Fred Springborn and Roger Peacock... A half to one inch of rain fell in Montcalm County Friday night into Saturday morning last week (June 19-20). High air temperatures were in the mid- to upper 80’s and reaching the mid- to upper 90’s yesterday. Low soil temperatures are in the upper 60’s to lower 70’s.

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By Paul Gross... Greenhouse-like conditions over the past week have changed the crop outlook drastically from a few weeks ago. The northern part of the region received about one inch of rain late last week while the southern portion received rains in excess of five inches.

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By Paul Gross... Summer rains are always welcome. The region received about one inch of rainfall over the past two days. This will aid emergence of the last soybeans planted and the just-planted drybeans. What the crops need most is warm weather.

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By Bob Battel... About an inch and a half of rain fell Wednesday, June 17, and slowed field work. Temperatures reached 80°F on Tuesday, but we are still in need of some extended warm weather to really help things grow.

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By Bob Battel... Most of the area received an inch to almost an inch and a half on Monday June 8. The rain was welcome as soils were beginning to dry. Warmer weather would also be welcome to help things grow a bit.

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By Bob Battel... For the most part, the Thumb area had beautiful weather the last half of May. We had some AM rainfall on Wednesday, May 27, totaling about seven tenths of an inch. Conditions were getting dry, and the rain was welcomed by most.

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By Bruce MacKellar... Conditions have slowly moved from an unsettled period of rain, thunderstorms and wind, to frosty and clear, to just about perfect as we head into the Memorial Day weekend, (May 22-25). We have those weeks where just about every field has a tractor or a piece of equipment in it in St. Joseph County, and the last two days were the beginning of what hopefully will be that kind of week.

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By Fred Springborn and Roger Peacock... Spring work has progressed rapidly this week in most areas. Some poorly drained areas, usually relatively small areas of fields, remain too wet to work. High air temperatures ranged in the mid-60’s for most of the week with 77°F and 84°F on Tuesday, May 19 and Wednesday, May 20. Low soil temperatures ranged from the upper 40’s to upper 50’s.

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By Paul Gross... What a difference a week makes. Warm, sunny weather over the past week has improved field conditions tremendously and allowed for planting at a rapid pace. There are still some areas where fields are wet, but by the weekend they should dry out. Farmers are amazing in their ability to plant a crop in a very short time. The region received at least one heavy frost, but no crop damage has been reported.

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By Bob Battel... Warmer, dryer weather is certainly welcome. Drying conditions are very good, and planting is progressing rapidly. Most of the area received 0.02 inch on the early morning of Saturday, May 16.

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By Fred Springborn and Roger Peacock... Half of an inch of rain slowed progress in Montcalm on Saturday morning, May 9, with some areas getting an addition 0.1 to 0.25-inch Sunday, May 10. Thursday morning, May 14, 0.9 to 1.0-inch fell on much of the area. Spring work has progressed fairly well on the sandy, well-drained soils with many of the loam soils once again too wet to work.

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By Ned Birkey... It has turned sunny and mild early this week, allowing fields to dry out and planting to begin in better drained fields. Fortunately, it is still early in May so farmers can still get planting done in a timely manner if the weather does not delay things further. There are still ponds in some fields.

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By Bruce MacKellar... Conditions have finally begun to dry out in the southern portion of the region. Portions of Cass and St. Joseph counties received light rainfall (less than 0.5 inch) over the last seven days, compared to one to two inch totals over most of the rest of the region.

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By Fred Springborn and Roger Peacock... Virtually dry weather over the last six days has allowed farmers back in the fields on the sandy, well-drained soils. The poorly drained loam and clay loams remain too wet for field work. Temperatures have been favorable for the crops that were planted with highs in the upper 60’s to low 70’s and soil temperatures ranging from the mid-40’s for lows and the mid- 60’s for day time highs.

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By Paul Gross... Things have started to dry out over the past week. This has allowed some field work on lighter soils. We still have very wet conditions with water standing in many areas across the region. Soil temperatures are warming up nicely with readings well over 50°F. Field activities include herbicide applications and some tillage.

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The weather has been hot and rainy or cool and rainy for most of the past two weeks. Some daring farmers who have had their rain gauges out have recorded over five inches in April.

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Weather has been primarily cold and wet or cool and wet. We have had just enough warm weather to melt the snow and green up the grass. Soil temperatures have been in the high 30’s and maybe up to 40°F. Winter snow was about 50 percent above normal and rains since. Tiles are running and subsoil moisture is good at this time.

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