Weekly weather update for professional turf managers from Frank Rossi:
Temp & GDD
A third cooler-than-normal week, 4 to 6 degrees below normal along the coast and inland, but only 2 to 4 degrees below normal west. Base 50 GDD near normal or a few days behind last year’s very slow, cold Spring. Dandelion control models indicating ideal controls reaching north into Hudson and Conn. Valleys. Soils continue to lag in the upper 40s and only into the mid-50s to far south of the region.
Moisture
Another week of mostly adequate moisture except to the western section of the region to Buffalo, where less than .5″ of rain fell, and along the coast between .5″ and 1″. The rest of the region received 1″ to 2″. ET is beginning to rise as the sun heads to its highest point in the sky, .75″ to 1″. Some moisture deficits exist along the New England coast.
Forecast
Expect another cool and moist start to the week with temps starting 5 below normal with some frost warnings possible. Mid-week expect a shift to warmer weather with highs in the 70s and a brief drying period, with rainfall expected again in the 8- to 14-day outlook. Pattern shifting to warm and wet.
For more turf-related weather info and decision-making tools, visit the ForeCast website.
