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Scattered rains fall across Corn Belt

An ag meteorologist says the August rainfall has been scattered but beneficial.

Drew Lerner with World Weather Incorporated says central Missouri has been hit hard with rain in the last two days.

“We saw rain extend from northwest to central and southern Missouri, ranging from 1 to 4 inches and Sedalia, a town in the central part of the state, getting more than 6 inches of rain. There is also good rainfall in north-central Missouri”

He says Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois are getting rain, but a few of those areas remain dry.

“That’s from central Illinois to central and western Iowa up into portions of Minnesota and the Dakotas. There are pockets of heavy rain in the corridor, but the majority of that region has seen less than a half inch of moisture in the last week.”

Lerner says more moisture will be needed to eliminate the drought and widely improve crop conditions in the Corn Belt.

He also says August weather can be a wild card for the Delta with Hurricane season.

“But it’s time for rain and we do need more rain to happen. The northern parts of the Delta will probably see rain this weekend into next week and the lower parts of the region may have to wait awhile, probably until mid-month.”

But he says there’s optimism for crops in the Delta region as the growing season continues.