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We likely won’t be setting any weather records, but the forecast for this week is still remarkable.

“It’s going to be much warmer than normal,” said Tom Hoverstad, scientist with the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca. “To set records for this time of year, we’d have to be in the 60s. I don’t know if we’ll get that warm.”

The University of Minnesota, Waseca (UMW) /Southern School of Agriculture (SSA) Alumni Association works to support agricultural education, career opportunities, personal growth and development for fellow alumni members and their communities. New funding is available to encourage individuals to seek leadership training opportunities that would result in a strengthened rural Minnesota.

MINNESOTA-Despite some recent rainfall, it hasn't been enough, meaning that farmers in the southeastern part of the state still have to deal with the drought conditions. I spoke with Tom Hoverstad, a scientist from the Southern Research and Outreach Center over in Waseca, about this topic. He said that most corn and soybean crops in southeastern Minnesota are close to maturity. That means that any rain those crops get between now and harvest season won't help at all. He said that corn and soybean farmers would like to get some rain after their harvests, though. That's because farmers hope the moisture will freeze in the ground once it gets colder. Once it warms up again in the spring, growers will hopefully be able to use that thawed moisture for planting.

MANKATO — Drought conditions continue to incrementally grow worse in the Greater Mankato region and across the state.

Tom Hoverstad, a scientist at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca, said progress has been good in his area.

Tom Hoverstad, a scientist at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca, said that while the recent cold snap slowed field work some, it is better than a year ago.

“Last spring was poor. It was a cold and wet April and there was a late planting season. The year before that was good and in the 2020 year of COVID it was early planting and a great crop.”

Hoverstad said that while the area went into the winter dry, the winter season helped replenish some soil moisture.

“Winter was good to us. We had the wettest winter on record,” he said.

Charlie Rohwer and Natalie Hoidal inspect the broccoli crop for black rot at the U's Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca. 

Editor’s note: The following was written by Dan Kaiser, University of Minnesota Extension nutrient management specialist, and Jeff Vetsch, soil scientist, for the Minnesota Crop News website April 6.

WASECA — Last summer the Mankato region was suffering from drought conditions, but this winter’s burdensome rain, sleet and snowstorms have brought it to an end.

“We just closed the book on the winter months and it was our wettest winter on record as far as liquid equivalent. And the records go back to 1915,” said Tom Hoverstad, scientist at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca.

The year is ending with a potpourri of weather in December, starting the month with rain, some decent snows, then the bitter cold, wind and heavy snow last week, with the waning days of the month relatively balmy.