[Listen] May Weather Unfair Tom Hoverstad SROC

One year ago Mother Nature provided one of the most stress free spring planting seasons I can remember. It was dry and you could get fields prepped, planted and you just kept going day after day. This spring was the exact opposite. There would be little windows to get in the field. then it would rain and you waited a few more days before you could get back in the field. Tom Hoverstad Scientist at the Southern research and Outreach Center at Waseca said our May Weather could be best described as unfair!

Tom said one morning he had 3 inches in his rain gauge at Waseca. He talked with a friend just East of Waseca that had 4 inches of rain. The farmer had a farm about 8 miles to the south of his home farm that did not get any rain so he was heading down to that farm to plant corn! He said he had never dumped 4 inches out of his rain gauge and then went to another farm to plant corn in his career! I had a similar experience!

It had rained in Faribault but the computer said I did not get any rain out at the farm. So, I headed out to the farm hoping to plant corn. I did not see any tractors in the field from Faribault, through Owatonna, Waseca and almost out to the farm north of Highway 30. I turned to go South toward Matawan and saw a tractor in the field! My farm was dry and I could plant.

Then a few days later I saw tractors in the field from Faribault to  North of Matawan on Highway 30 about 2 miles from my farm. When I turned South I saw it had rained. Checking my rain gauge I has three tenths so no field work that day! Tom added another way to describe May of 2022 was windy. We had 15 days with winds over 25 miles an hour. Another unusual event was temperatures going from 41 degrees to 91 degrees in 36 hours.

This May was the first month of 2022 that was warmer than normal. Yes, the entire year so far January through April was colder than normal. Remember, April was MUCH colder than normal! Click on the link above and listen to Tom Hoverstad Scientist at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca discuss the May 2022 weather.