*** Again..... my apologies for the late posting of the forecasts for Friday and Monday. Having caught up to the present, Wednesday's forecasts should be posted in a normal fashion. Thank you for your patience !! ***
*** Disease Update - 1 July *** Blue mold has been confirmed in southwest VA. Disease activity was discovered in a field in Washington County, VA near the town of Meadowview. Blue mold has been present for at least a week. Recent weather has been favorable, and other infections are likely present in neighboring areas. We thank Chuck Johnson, Phil Blevins, and Danny Peek for this information / report. This location is close to the other reported outbreak in Jonesborough, TN. We will continue to use the Jonesborough site as the starting point for forecast trajectories.
*** Disease Update - 28 June *** We have the first reports of blue mold from Connecticut and Kentucky. In CT..... strongly active blue mold was confirmed in field grown shade tobacco near the town of Windsor on Wednesday, July 26. At least two generations of lesions are present. Recent weather conditions have been favorable. Acrobat MZ has been applied. In KY..... moderately active blue mold has been discovered in a field near the town of Bass, in south-central KY. At least 4 generations of lesions are present. Systemic infections occurred in the field within a few days of setting. Both of these sources will join the forecasts.
***** Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected in the eastern U.S. on Monday and Tuesday. ***** A very warm and humid air mass lies over the eastern U.S. Sunny to partly cloudy skies are expected. No fronts will enter the region during the next two days..... but daytime heating will trigger isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoons and evenings. The best chances of rain appear to be in Florida, and in or near the Appalachian Mountains. Hot with highs in the upper 80's and 90's, lows in the 60's and 70's.
*** For the forecasts........Winds will be light in most areas, and there are mixed conditions for survivable transport and deposition each day. Trajectories from the known sources change little from Monday to Tuesday. The most notable events occur in the southern Appalachian Mountains, where spores will move south each day. There is Moderate Risk for northeast TN, extreme southwest VA, most of western NC, and northwest SC Monday and Tuesday. For the other sources..... the potential for disease development is expected to be limited to areas near the source. For both Monday and Tuesday, there is Weakly Moderate Risk for north-central and eastern NC and southeast PA. There is Moderate Risk for CT and MA, south-central KY, and southern GA and northern FL. Low Risk otherwise Monday and Tuesday.
TK
Serious Threats: None
HIGH RISK areas: None
Current Sources:
Previous Sources:
Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Santiago, Dominican Republic
Papantla, Veracruz, Mexico
Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
Local Weather in North Carolina is available from the WRAL-TV5 Weather Center, which also has links to other weather sites.
***** NOTE: These forecasts/outlooks only apply to disease development from airborne transport of spores!!! We do not have the capability to ascertain blue mold development by other means, such as transplanting of infected seedlings, nor will we attempt to do so. Please consult the Extension Service personnel in your area if you have concerns about these matters! *****
This service is provided by the North Carolina State University departments of Plant Pathology and Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences.