Kentucky experienced below normal temperatures and precipitation over the past week. Precipitation for the week totaled 0.80 inches, 0.23 inches below normal. Temperatures averaged 70 degrees for the week, 2 degrees below normal. Topsoil moisture was rated 1 percent very short, 11 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 18 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 1 percent very short, 12 percent short, 72 percent adequate, and 15 percent surplus. Days suitable for fieldwork averaged 3.9 out of a possible seven.
Primary activities this week included planting soybeans and tobacco. Producers continued side dressing corn and spraying post herbicide applications. There were reports of wind damage and Fusarium head blight in wheat which could impact yields in affected areas. Winter wheat grain harvest is expected to begin in earnest within the next 1-2 weeks, depending on location. Pastures are growing well due to the recent rains and livestock are benefiiting from good conditions. Hay harvest is behind schedule in many areas, resulting in an over mature first cutting. Corn emerged average height was 26 inches. The average height of set tobacco in the field was 10 inches.
The second week of June was met with a return to cooler temperatures and dry conditions deepening across the state. The only significant rainfall event for the period came Tuesday and Wednesday as low pressure pushed from the Southern Plains to the Lower Great Lakes. Strong to severe storms fired along a line late Tuesday and into the overnight with wind damage as the primary threat. Precipitation varied across the state during this event with many seeing less than a half inch. The exception came along East-Central Kentucky and up into the Bluegrass with totals around an inch. The state was mostly dry for much of the remainder of the work week. The latest US Drought Monitor now has a quarter of the state as abnormally dry with even a slight portion of Southeastern Kentucky in the moderate drought category. Low pressure kept clouds in place, which limited daytime highs to the mid 70s to low 80s for much of the week. High pressure of Canadian origin moved into the area to start the weekend. Skies became clear and winds went calm Friday night, allowing for temperatures to drop into the upper 40s for quite a few locations.
Temperatures for the period averaged 70 degrees across the state which was 2 degrees cooler than normal and 2 degrees cooler than the previous period. High temperatures averaged from 80 in the West to 80 in the East. Departure from normal high temperatures ranged from 5 degrees cooler than normal in the West to 3 degrees cooler than normal in the East. Low temperatures averaged from 62 degrees in the West to 59 degrees in the East. Departure from normal low temperature ranged from 1 degree cooler than normal in the West to 1 degree warmer than normal in the East. The extreme high temperature for the period was 90 degrees at BOWLING GREEN 5S and the extreme low was 44 degrees at CYNTHIANA 8N.
Precipitation (liq. equ.) for the period totaled 0.80 inches statewide which was 0.23 inches below normal and 78% of normal. Precipitation totals by climate division, West 1.03 inches, Central 0.81 inches, Bluegrass 0.77 inches and East 0.60 inches, which was 0.05, -0.23, -0.28 and -0.45 inches respectively from normal. By station, precipitation totals ranged from a low of 0.06 inches at HAZARD AWOS to a high of 2.33 inches at CAPE GIRARDEAU ASOS.
