Freezing temperatures likely across Michigan

May 7 | Jeffrey Andresen

An air mass from the arctic will be moving through Michigan and the Great Lakes region during the next several days, bringing abnormal, potentially record-breaking cold weather to the state with several rounds of subfreezing temperatures through early next week. Coldest readings are expected Friday and Saturday mornings, May 8 and 9, across interior sections of Upper and the northern Lower Peninsulas where the low to mid-20s are possible. Overnight minimum temperatures from the mid- to upper 20s are possible across large sections of central and southern Lower Michigan Saturday morning.

Should I irrigate ahead of the coming freeze?

May 8 | Benjamin Werling

Many growers are irrigating ahead of the upcoming winter-like weather with the hopes of protecting seedlings of early-sown vegetables (Photo 1). How does this work? Water is a better thermal conductor than air. Soil that has moisture in it can better absorb and transfer heat from the sun into the soil profile during the day and back upwards towards the surface and plant canopy at night. Moisture will also darken light colored soils like sand, making them absorb more heat. This can be potentially helpful in increasing overnight minimum air temperatures and reducing damage to emerged seedlings.

Giant wasps aren’t coming for you

May 8 | Meghan Milbrath

Scary stories about murder hornets are all over the news, so that means we should panic, right? Nope. There have been only a few isolated detections in the Pacific Northwest, so Michiganders and their bees are not at risk of a deadly invasion of hornets. These insects may never arrive in Michigan, and it is highly unlikely they will soon pose a threat to humans or honey bees in our state. The reason you are hearing so much about these hornets is not because they are a big risk, but because the media is creating sensationalist headlines to grab readership already primed with fear. It isn’t a new story, it is just a good example of the media using strong language so their story goes viral, and cashing in on the fact that the public already has mixed feelings about large insects.