2017 Spring Farm Magazine

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Page 38 March 23, 2017 2017 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS
recent round of rains. If it remains dry over
the next two to three months, we will start to
see impacts on agriculture. But that’s true of
any spring.”
***
When considering the long range forecast
for the upcoming growing season, there is
no better resource than the Old Farmer’s
s
f
Just for the record, so far the Old Farmer’s
Almanac (OFA) got the forecast right: “Winter
will be warmer than normal, with above-
normal precipitation. The coldest periods will
be in late December and early to mid-January
and from mid-January into early February.”
OFA missed it on the snowfall forecast for
Illinois: “Snowfall will be above normal in
Illinois and below normal elsewhere, with
the snowiest periods in mid-November,
late December, early and late January, mid-
February, and early March.”
Looking ahead, OFA says “April and May will
be warmer and slightly drier than normal.”
This might have an impact on agriculture in
Central Illinois.
OFA says “Summer will be slightly cooler and
rainier than normal. The hottest period will
be in mid-July, with other hot periods in early
July and mid- to late August. September and
October will be wetter and slightly cooler than
normal.”
We may not always like what they forecast,
and we may not always find that they are
correct, but their projected forecast is generic
enough that they have a better than 50%
chance of being right.