Reading Your Forecast: Planning Field Work Around Forecast Pace
Every OCM site carries a 7-day forecast alongside its live conditions in the dashboard. On its own that is useful, but the dashboard pairs it with something more practical for day to day decisions: how much rain has actually fallen since 9am compared with what was forecast for that point in the day, shown as ahead, behind or on pace.
This guide explains what the forecast and forecast pace figures show, and how to use them for decisions like spray timing and field access.
What the 7-Day Forecast Shows
Each site carries its own 7-day forecast alongside live sensor readings, rather than a generic regional forecast pulled from the nearest town. It gives a short range view of expected conditions for that specific paddock or property over the coming week, useful for planning work a few days out.
What Forecast Pace Actually Means
Forecast pace compares rainfall recorded since 9am against what was forecast for that period. If more rain has fallen than expected at this point in the day, the site is running ahead of pace. If less has fallen, it is behind pace. If the two are roughly in line, it is on pace.
Ahead of pace means actual rainfall is outrunning the forecast for the day so far. Behind pace means the forecast rain has not turned up yet, or turned up lighter than expected.
Why This Matters More Than the Forecast Alone
A forecast tells you what is expected. Forecast pace tells you what is actually happening against that expectation, updated through the day. That distinction matters when a forecast rain event is meant to arrive by a certain time and you need to decide whether to wait it out or get on with other work. A site sitting well behind pace late in the day is a reasonable signal that the forecast rain may not fully eventuate.
Using Forecast Pace for Field Decisions
A few practical uses for forecast pace through the week:
Deciding whether to delay spraying if forecast rain looks likely to arrive on schedule, or push ahead if the site is running well behind pace
Judging whether promised rain is tracking to plan before committing to field access or machinery movements
Spotting early in the day whether an expected dry spell is holding, which matters for harvest or spraying windows
Comparing pace across multiple sites to see where a forecast system is over or under-delivering across a property
Forecast Pace Alongside Your Water Balance Chart
Forecast pace is a short-term, day-by-day view. Your water balance chart is the longer-term, cumulative view, tracking rainfall against reference evapotranspiration since planting. Used together, forecast pace helps with this week's decisions, while the water balance chart shows whether the season as a whole is trending toward surplus or deficit.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What does ahead of pace or behind pace actually mean?
It compares rainfall recorded since 9am against what was forecast for that period. Ahead of pace means more rain has fallen than expected so far, behind pace means less.
How far out does the forecast go?
Each site carries a 7-day forecast alongside its live conditions, giving a short-range view for planning work over the coming week.
Does forecast pace affect my water balance calculations?
No. Forecast pace is a short-term comparison against the forecast for the current day. The water balance chart is calculated from actual recorded rainfall and reference evapotranspiration since planting, not from the forecast.