Harvest Window Opens Wide Next Week

Harvest Window Opens Wide Next Week

As we prepare to turn the calendars to October, our weekly installment of the harvest weather forecast is back with HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin. It’s made possible by First Farmers Bank and Trust, proud to support Indiana farmers, and by Kokomo Grain.

Yes- harvest is getting started later than usual for most, but there is a good window to get going next week. After some moisture to end this week, Martin says, “The next 7 to 10 days look pretty good. No rain likely across the entire Hoosier state from Sunday right on through next Saturday. In that period, we are going to continue to see temperatures above normal and we should see excellent dry down.”

While luck hasn’t appeared to be on our side too many times this year in regard to weather, it looks like we will have it much better off than our neighbors to the north and the west.

“A large upper level ridge is in place over the southeastern United States. That’s steering all moisture over the next week across a corridor that spans from Iowa and Missouri, up through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and into Michigan. Northern Illinois will pick up moisture, too. So, while we have a very good harvest window here across the Hoosier state for the next week… our neighbors to the west and north, not likely as impressive in their harvest window. As a matter of fact, there could be some fairly significant harvest challenges out west and that’s going to cause the market to be a little bit concerned.”

A lot of talk recently about cooler temperatures and when they might show up. Martin says cooler air is pooling in the upper Midwest and into the Northern Plains mid-to-late next week.

“While it advances southward, it does not get in here for a while yet. We think we will be making it into the first full week of October until we see a dramatic drop off in our temperatures, and that is going to help this crop continue to move along and set up for a great harvest start.”