A Chill In The Air... And The Ground

This March is on pace to be the 4th coldest on record for Rockford, which means soil temperatures are plenty cold, as well.

There are a few official observation posts across the Stateline, including DeKalb and Freeport. Soil temps as of Tuesday were right around the freezing mark 4-8" below the surface. This isn't unusual, but it is slightly below normal for this time of year.

Stateline Soil Temps - 3/26/13

What really makes these numbers incredible are soil temps this time last year. A record warm March in 2012 led to soil temps well into the 50s. Talking to Winnebago County Soil & Water, 50° is the temperature that farmers like to start to planning their crop. This usually doesn't happen until early May.

Stateline Soil Temps - March 2012

For a full comparison of soil temps between March 2012 and March 2013, click here.

For the latest on Illinois soil temps, click here.