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CFAES

Spring Weather & Soil Conditions: Update 2

Soil Temperatures and Moisture

Figure 1: Daily average air temperature (dashed red), two-inch (green) and four-inch (blue) soil temperatures for spring 2023. Soil type and location of measurements (under sod or bare soil) are provided in the lower right corner of each panel. A map of all locations is in the bottom right. Data provided by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Agricultural Research Stations located throughout the state.

With temperatures running 4-18°F (south to north) above average last week, daily average soil temperatures warmed considerably (Figure 1). Most locations around Ohio are reporting daily average two- and four-inch soil temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s, about 10 degrees warmer than the beginning of last week. With the cooldown to start this week, soils are cooling off a touch but warmer weather mid to late week should prevent them from falling too much.

Figure 2: (Left) Total precipitation over the 7-day period of 7am April 11 – 7am April 17, 2023. Figure provided by the Midwestern Regional Climate Center. (Right) Calculated soil moisture percentiles as of 4/16/2023 according to the Climate Prediction Center.

Overall, it was a dry week this past week. Locations across western Ohio received less than 0.1” while portions of eastern Ohio experienced 0.5-0.75” of rain (Figure 2-left). A CoCoRaHS observed southeast of Stow in Summit County observed 1.42” this week. Soils continue to dry out from surplus March precipitation as are mostly in the 30-70th percentile (Figure 2-right). Reports indicate a dry surface with surplus sub-surface moisture still present. For more complete weather records for CFAES research stations, including temperature, precipitation, growing degree days, and other useful weather observations, please visit https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weather1/.

Weather Forecast

We are starting the week off on the cool side, with light rain and/or snow showers falling across the state. While conditons improve on Tuesday for the sothwest half of the state, clouds and light precipitation will continue in the northeast. After a frosty start to the day on Wednesday, Wednesday afternoon and Thursday will feature a decent push of warmer air that will bring springlike conditions back to Ohio ahead of another strong cold front that will surge eastward on Friday and Saturday. This front will be accompnied by periods of showers and storms that will last into the upcoming weekend. Cool weather will also return this weekend with highs back below average in the 40s and 50s. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.5-1.25” of precipitation this week, heaviest in western Ohio (Figure 3).

Figure 3). Precipitation forecast from the Weather Prediction Center for 8pm Monday April 17  – 8pm Monday April 24, 2023.

The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show below average temperatures are likely with precipitation learning toward below average as well (Figure 4). Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 62-67°F, a low-temperature range of 42-45°F, and weekly total precipitation of about 1 inch.

Figure 4) Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook valid for April  23  - 27, 2023, for left) temperatures and right) precipitation. Colors represent the probability of below, normal, or above normal conditions.

Crop Observation and Recommendation Network

C.O.R.N. Newsletter is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio crop producers and industry. C.O.R.N. Newsletter is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, state specialists at The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). C.O.R.N. Newsletter questions are directed to Extension and OARDC state specialists and associates at Ohio State.

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