Weather

More cool, showery weather across the Corn Belt

Across the Corn Belt, cool, showery weather is limiting fieldwork. Despite less-than-ideal spring weather, corn planting was within 10 percentage points of the respective 5-year averages on May 21 in all Midwestern States, ranging from 65% complete in Wisconsin to 94% complete in Minnesota.

On the Plains, cool weather prevails in the wake of a departing storm system. A few showers and thunderstorms linger, however, across the southern Plains. In parts of Nebraska where a freeze occurred on May 21, producers are monitoring winter wheat (61% headed on May 21) for any sign of injury.

In the West, very warm, dry weather favors a rapid pace of fieldwork and crop development. In California, rice planting jumped from 27 to 59% complete during the week ending May 21—but remains behind the 5-year average of 78%. The warm spell is also rapidly melting high-elevation snowpack, resulting in local flooding.

In the South, widespread rain is slowing or halting fieldwork. However, Southeastern showers are also helping to ease lingering pockets of drought. Rain has not yet spread across Florida’s peninsula, where very dry conditions persist. On May 21, Florida led the nation in topsoil moisture rated very short to short—78%–and pastures rated very poor to poor—60%.

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