Rising Temps, Falling Records



A warm airmass will move in for the next 2 weeks. Expect
record warmth and a rapid transition to spring!

 Several record high temperatures have already fallen this year, but several more are in jeopardy this week. The 7-Day forecast looks more like May than March as unprecidented warmth moves into the region! Highs will soar into the 70s and even 80s with the jet stream pushing well into Canada. And we'll be stuck in this exceptionally warm rut for at least a few weeks.



Soil temps are climbing rapidly. Morels could
pop 2-3 weeks earlier than you'd normally expect! They're
already being picked in southern Missouri. Follow with the
"Morel Sightings" link on the right.



The big questions are, what does this mean for fishing and morels? Four inch soil temperatures started the week in the low 40s putting morel mushroom hunters on standby with this record warm pattern! If this abnormal heat continues, our season will likely come much earlier than normal. See post on "Forecasting Morels" for more on favorable soil temps and moisture. One huge detractor is the lack of soil moisture, but that wont stop the grass from turning from brown to green this week!



Wildlife is in for a wild ride. Spring is almost a month early
this year!



Fishermen will be dusting off the gear to enjoy the benefits of warming water. Water temps change much more slowly than land or air temps. With cool nights offsetting the warm days, the average daily temperature becomes more important than the highs. Lately the average daily temperature in Des Moines has only been 43F, just a few degrees above the water temperature. This has caused the water to warm very little. This week's forecast has projected average temperature will be in the low 60s! 

This isn't your typical spring warm-up, this will be a stunning pattern change, and it will strengthen fishing action! The water is still cold, so keep that in mind. The fairly repetitive nature to the forecast also means, when you find a good pattern, stick with it! Fishing activity will likely get better and patterns will become predictable by the end of the week.