Cooler than average temperatures continue to slow the spring thaw. North Dakota Agriculture Weather Network Interim Director Daryl Ritchison says there are several recent examples of a spring this late. “2009-2011 and 2013 were all late. In 2004, a lot of the trees didn’t flower until Memorial Day weekend.”
However, Ritchison says the surprising part is the cold temperatures. “We’ve been 20-to-30 degrees below average. Yes, farmers are going to plant later than the past few years, but not by as much as people think,” says Ritchison. “The perception of these early springs is getting in the way of what other years have actually brought to the area.”