The second week of May was… spectacular! Sunny, not a drop of rain, and leaves sprouting green everywhere.
The average temperature by the end of the second week of May was 12.5 degrees Celsius, a nice increase from the 9.7 C registered in the first week, yet surprisingly cool compared to the normal average temperature for the month of 14.4 C, given the sunny weather.
There was 0.3 millimetre of rain, just a few droplets, which kept total precipitation for the month at 20 mm, which is now below average and a complete switch from the grey and damp in April. The ground is still moist below the surface but the tractors in the fields are churning clouds of dust as they cultivate the topsoil, and the tile drains are down to a trickle.
The soil temperature has remained stubbornly cool, averaging 10 C at night, and peaking at up to 19 C during the day. The night-time average needs to reach 13 C to be safe for corn germination. The forecast is for a very cool third week of May, with daytime highs well below normal.
