Harvest Weather Forecast: An Excellent Window to Start Harvest

We have an excellent harvest window to start off this first harvest forecast of the season. In fact, it will be pretty short and sweet here, as we have no rain threats at all in the next 10 days. There is a large weather complex to our west this weekend, but it dies out near the Mississippi River and in Northern WI before throwing any moisture our way. High pressure will build in over southern Ontario next week, and that will give us sunny, dry weather for the entire period, through next weekend. Evaporation rates will remain at near maximum…although the main moisture to evaporate will be limited mostly to morning dew.

Extended Period:

A system is trying to come together in the pacific Northwest at the end of next weekend. That system will move east through the first full week of October. It’s uncertain how much moisture will be able to hold together out of it as it exits the Rockies, but we are projecting rain arriving here out of that system at some point that week. Right now, we are penciling in a frontal passage late Thursday the 5^th into Friday the 6^th…but timing will be changeable we are certain. Rain totals can be in the .25”-.75” range with 80% coverage. We do see some significantly cooler air coming behind that front to finish out the 16 day period for the 7^th through the 10^th.

Weeks 3 & 4:

Weeks 3 and for both are trending toward near normal precipitation, so that means we see at least a little bit of precipitation potential both weeks. Temperatures, though, will be warm…anywhere from 2-5 degrees above normal for weekly averages both weeks. That means we keep that first frost at bay in many areas pretty easily.

Week 3

Precipitation (green: above normal, brown: below)