Ryan Martin’s Indiana Ag Forecast for April 24, 2017

We have gotten lucky in the Hoosier state! After a weekend that saw our potential rain event move farther south, we are going to continue to see dry weather through Wednesday! Temps will be climbing and this should promote good drying and excellent field work chances over the state.

Our first chance of rain this week hits Wednesday night and Thursday. Rains move through, but are not too impressive at this point. We like showers at .25”-.75” rates for the Wednesday night-Thursday period, with coverage at 80%. A second wave of showers may threaten southern Indiana Thursday night, but at this point we think that batch may miss to the south…time will tell.

However, our good luck comes to an end this weekend and early next week. A powerful front sweeps through the state Saturday with 1-2” rains and coverage at 100%. Lingering showers pop up on Sunday. Then a second strong front hits for Monday the 1st bringing .5”1.5” rains and coverage at 80%. So…over the span of 3 days we can see 1-3” of rain over most of the state, and in the span of 5 days (to include this first system this Thursday) that total pushes to likely 1.5”-4”. Stronger thunderstorms sitting over the same area could even bump that range. In any case, that will slow field work down in a hurry! But…if you need a silver lining…look at it this way…at least we are not in central IL. The map above shows potential rain totals through next Monday. Notice some areas of IL are between 6” and 8”???

We should be dry next Tuesday FWIW…but another minor wave is on the way for next Wednesday, the 3rd, starting mostly in the afternoon. That wave could bring another .25”-.5” with 60% coverage.

In the extended window, another system is likely around the 6th with up to half an inch of moisture, and another closer to the 10th. So…go as hard as you can as fast as you can the next several days…it’s a gift!