By Benjamin Phillips and Benjamin Werling el.at
For the past week, mean temperatures were 2-6 degrees below normal for most of the state with some significant rainfall in the northeast and southwestern Lower Peninsula, but other spots left behind. The central lower remains especially dry.
Looking back at the past two months, precipitation has ranged from 50-200% of normal across the state, with a wet tip but dry palm of the mitten. Grand Rapids is about a month’s worth of rain short, typifying conditions in the central lower.
This week’s forecast calls for:
- Fair, dry and gradually warmer Wednesday, July 29, and Thursday. Scattered showers and thunderstorms possible northwest Friday spreading southeast into lower Michigan Saturday. Fair, dry and cooler early next week.
- Precipitation of less than 0.25-0.5 inch for the next week, with most falling over the weekend.
- High temperatures generally from the upper 70s north to low 80s south Wednesday warming to the mid-upper 80s by Friday then cooling back to the upper 70s to low 80s again by early next week. Low temperatures in the low 50s north to upper 50s south Thursday gradually warming to the low-mid 60s by Saturday and then falling back to the 50s to low 60s by early next week.
- Medium range guidance suggests a return of near to above normal mean temperatures into mid-August. Precipitation totals are expected to range from normal to above normal levels.
Crop updates
Asparagus
Between 5-11 disease severity values accumulated between July 21-27 at six Oceana County sensors Michigan State University Extension is monitoring. A fungicide application would have been due Monday, July 27, at these locations if nothing had been applied since July 14-16.
Source : msu.edu