Blame Mother Nature for slow start to Michigan planting season

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- Monday was a sunny day across Southwest Michigan, the kind of day that farmers normally would take advantage of and get out into their fields.

But the weather has been anything but normal this spring. The main culprit is the historic rainfall that has fallen since March 1. Some areas in Berrien, Cass, and Saint Joseph County in Michigan have received three times the normal spring rainfall. This unrelenting rain has made field work impossible for many in southwest Michigan.

Another forecast factor has been the recent cool stretch. While Michiana's overall spring has been warm, the start to May is the coolest since 2020. The area has been under multiple cold weather warnings and has an upcoming frost advisory Tuesday morning. The cold temperatures have prevented area fields from effectively drying out.

The current crop progress numbers reflect this conundrum, with both corn and soybeans planted running well behind recent averages.

While there are warmer temperatures in the forecast, there are also chances for additional heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.