We have an excellent harvest forecast this week. We start things off with a little bit of moisture on Saturday as a cool front (a relatively fast moving one at that) sweeps through the Great Lakes and eastern corn belt. That front brings moisture that will total a few hundredths to no more than .4” over 75% of the state, ending early Saturday afternoon. We clear out Saturday evening and overnight.
The rest of the 10 day forecast window is mostly sunny, warm and mostly dry strong high pressure builds in over the eastern corn belt and acts like a large block in flow of any front/action from the west. Actually, moisture develops on the backside of this strong surface high at midweek next week, and it circulates up the backside and over the top through the Upper Midwest, into Canada, Lake Superior and a few parts of the UP. Remember that last part of the statement, we will get there in a bit. For most of MI, and pretty much all of the Lower Peninsula. from this Sunday through early next week (week of the 4th) temps will be above normal, evaporation at maximum every day, low humidity and we should even put in some decent south and west breezes at times.
Extended Period:
Weeks 3 & 4:
Not many problems or issues for harvest coming in the week 3 or week 4 forecast either. We likely see that moisture that is setting up just northwest of the region next Sunday the 10th slide down into the eastern corn belt early in the week of the 11th, with showers the most likely result. That will put moisture for week 3 near normal, but not excessive. Temps will be well above normal region wide. For week 4 we swing back very dry and could be looking at a good 5-7 day rain free stretch again, allowing for good harvest progression. Temps are above normal that week too to nearly finish out the month.
Week 3
Precipitation (green: above normal, brown: below)
Temperatures (blue: below normal, orange: above)
Week 4
Precipitation (green: above normal, brown: below)
Temperatures (blue: below normal, orange: above)