After another week of cold weather, soil temperatures continue to cool. However, as of the morning of Dec. 16, the lows were still above the mid-20 degrees F range (figure 1). Warmest temperatures continue to be in the southeast, where average air temperatures were also the warmest.
Soil temperatures in individual fields and within fields will vary, depending upon soil type, current soil moisture, and residue levels. Another blast of frigid temperatures is expected over the weekend, before temperatures moderate in the next week. However, normal temperatures at this time of year are low, so soil temperatures are likely to continue to cool.
Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu
Chip Redmond, Kansas Mesonet Manager
christopherredmond@ksu.edu