Warmer June helped crops catch up

State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says the warmth of June has helped chilled crops catch up. Hillaker says there was a cool start to the growing season, with some areas recording their lowest temperatures ever in May. But June has been warmer than normal. Some farmers did have to replant in May because cold temperatures prevented their seeds from germinating. Hillaker says May was a “mixed bag” because the relatively-dry period in April allowed farmers to get into the field and get crops planted earlier. While some seeds sat in the ground and did nothing during that cold period in May, the later warmth and the hot days of this past June mean the crops are progressing at a normal pace now, according to Hillaker. “And certainly this month, things are progressing very rapidly because of the high temperatures,” Hillaker says. He says the southeast and east central parts of the state need rain soon, though, or else crops in that region will be stressed.