Warmer Weather Ahead

By Jim Noel

April is forecast to be warmer than normal with some typical swings. Those swings will still bring periods of windy weather for the first half of April. Normal high temperatures are now 55 northeast Ohio to 60 southwest Ohio. Expect above normal temperatures this week with the first half of the week in the 60s and 70s for highs followed by a cool down later in the week with highs in 50s to near 60. 

There will be another sharp cool down the first half of next week but then there is expected to be a big surge of warmer weather starting about next Thursday for a solid week which could push high temperatures into the 60s and 70s north to 70s to near 80 south. This should allow some field work to begin in full swing for mid-month. By the end of the month temperatures will settle back to about normal.

As for rainfall, after another strong weather system the middle of this week with rain, weather systems are forecast to weaken for much of the middle of the month. This will reduce the wet pattern we saw in March into early April to more normal rainfall patterns.

Though mid-April, rainfall will average 1-2 inches across Ohio (see image). This is actually about normal to slightly below normal.

With La Nina gone, near normal last freeze dates are projected this spring with most freezes occuring by the end of April or very early May.

GROWING SEASON - May to early September

A warmer than normal late spring through summer and early fall is forecast. However, there is no indication of any significant number of maximum temperatures above 95 which is good news. Rainfall is officially forecast near or slightly above normal. However, with the rapid transition toward an El Nino that could cause a quick switch to drier than normal conditions in the eastern corn and soybean belt from June or July and on. We need to monitor this risk. If we remain in neutral conditions then any dry pattern would be off the table due to adequate soil moisture conditions. But if El Nino develops, things could change this summer quickly.