It is about that time of year when farmers and even gardeners start to closely monitor soil temperatures to see when conditions become favorable for spring season activities. The featured chart presents a time series of soil temperatures from the Chariton (southcentral Iowa) at 4, 12, 24, and 48 inch depths. The two recent and major air temperature warm-ups on the 31rst and then 4th are readily apparent with the strong warming response at the most shallow depth. Air temperatures did nose dive on Wednesday, but there was some sunshine and the warmth from Tuesday continued to work downward to lower depths. You can see the delayed response of the warming to reach the 24 inch depth sensor. The forecast continues to look favorable for continued soil warming and for dry conditions. The million dollar question is if we can avoid going into May any significant cold and/or wet/chilly stretches that would be troublesome for early planted crops.

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