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Early season frost threatens Michigan crops

Corn growing along US 127 south of Mason
(photo by Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio)
Corn growing along US 127 south of Mason

 An early season cold snap is threatening to seriously damage Michigan’s corn crop.   Temperatures are expected to slide into the 30’s tonight and into the weekend.  

This year did not start well for Michigan farmers.   A cold, wet Spring delayed planting for nearly two months.   Now, an early season frost could damage corn, soybean and other crops just a few weeks from harvest. 

Ken Nye is a commodities specialist with the Michigan Farm Bureau.  He says the temperatures falling into the 30’s is just the latest obstacle in what has been a challenging year for Michigan farmers. 

“We got to hope we can slide through this one…and get two or three more weeks of growing season.”

Overnight temperatures are expected to dip into the middle 30’s in southern Michigan.    

The thermometer is expected to hover around the freezing mark from Alma north into the weekend. 

More seasonable weather is expected to return next week.  

Nye says farmers should know this weekend how the chilling temperatures during the next few days will have affected their crops.  

Steve Carmody has been a reporter for Michigan Public since 2005. Steve previously worked at public radio and television stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Kentucky, and also has extensive experience in commercial broadcasting.