Cooler temperatures will hang around until next week

The past few days have seen cooler temperatures in the area. Illinois State climatologist Jim Angel said that cooler air is coming from the north.

"The obvious answer, is that a cooler, drier, Candian front is lingering in the area," Angel.

Angel said it's normal to see a cool day now and then, but this cold front has been hanging around a little longer than usual. He said for the next week or so, the Champaign-Urbana will continue to see this type of weather.

"It's good news as far as running AC and general outside comfort," Angel said.

People may be enjoying the cooler temperatures, but crops, like corn and soybeans, would prefer it to be warmer, Angel said.

Emerson Nafziger, Professor of Agronomic Extension at the University, said cooler temperatures do slow growth, but it's not a big deal.

"One of the good things it does is bring down night temperatures, which are currently more favorable for crops," he said.

Nafziger said corn prefers temperatures in the 80s and would grow faster, but temperatures in the 70s are much better for crops than the humid, 90 degree weather in the area last month.

"Fungal diseases favor humid weather,"Nafziger said. "There is less disease development under the current temperatures."