Midwest Weekly Highlights - June 1-7, 2004

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The first week of June was generally quiet and uneventful throughout the Midwest.  In general, it was slightly warmer in the west and cooler in the east, but temperatures did not vary as much across the region as in past weeks.  Average daily temperatures ranged from 2F below average in Ohio and eastern Kentucky to 2.5F above normal in western Minnesota (Figure 1).

Cooler, dry air swept across the region at the start of the period.  A cold upper level low pressure system moving through the southern Great Lakes brought some afternoon/evening showers and thunderstorms to the northern half of the region.  The band of heavier rain across Minnesota and northern Wisconsin was from showers and thunderstorms associated with this low.  However, the convection was widely scattered and most areas received little rain during the week, with the majority of days suitable for field work (Figure 2).  The generally dry weather was good news for many farmers still trying to get soybeans planted and complete other field work, as the wet weather in May caused waterlogged fields resulting in planting delays.  Planting progress as of June 7 lagged the most in Wisconsin, where 67 percent of the soybeans were planted compared to the 5-year average of 85 percent.  Breezy conditions along with low dewpoints and ample sunshine promoted drying of fields this week. 

By the end of the period much warmer air began to make its way back into the Midwest as strong southwest flow returned (Figure 3).  The first areas affected were the northwestern portions of the region.  Both Minneapolis and St. Cloud, MN set new record high temperatures for June 7 (Figure 4, Unisys).  Minneapolis reached 95F, breaking the old record of 94F set in both 1987 and 1988.  St. Cloud reached 96F, breaking the old record of 94F set in 1988.  High temperatures on June 7 were 10F to 20F above normal across much of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan (Figure 5).