The new HAT farm weather forecast has rain in it, potentially interrupting a solid run of harvest activity across the state. Chief meteorologist Ryan Martin says there could be an interruption coming, and across much of the state, but he calls it a minor interruption.
“It looks like the rains are going to be moving through the Hoosier state from late Wednesday afternoon, past sunset and through 2-3 AM Thursday. After that I think we see action move out fairly quickly. Rainfall totals look like they’re going to be about a quarter of an inch to maybe 6 tenths, and I think there is going to be coverage at about 70-80 percent of the state. So, yes a minor interruption, but also I don’t think we’re going to be seeing this hold us back to long.”
Once the rains move in Martin is expecting dry-down to be very quick, helping get equipment right back in the fields.
“We are expecting the humidity values to fall behind this front,” he explained. “Breezes should be a big part of the forecast as well as we finish out the day on Thursday and go through Friday. So I think we’re probably looking at a short term stoppage of the harvest overall. We should be back to getting into it pretty quick Friday into Saturday. Our soils are fairly dry here already so it should not take much to get us in prime condition to roll back through the fields once again. After that I think we’re going to be dry all the way into next week. I’m watching a weak little disturbance that wants to pass over the northern part of the state sometime overnight Saturday into Sunday. Moisture totals though look very minor with only a few hundredths of an inch to maybe a tenth up there.”
He said a better system for rain coverage is trying to work in by Tuesday night and Wednesday with rain chances more likely west than east.