Severe weather strikes Corn Belt; forecasts still positive

It was a big week for corn planting across the country, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest Crop Progress report showing a jump from 49% complete to 70% complete in the week ending May 19. This is just one percentage point behind the five-year average. 

This progress came despite continuing rains across much of the Corn Belt — although there were windows open to get crops in the ground, according to a weekly report from Iowa State University Extension. 

Meaghan Anderson, an ISU Extension agronomist covering central Iowa, said area farmers found time to get lots of fieldwork done but cautioned that rains on Monday and Tuesday were already prompting flooding reports. 

Variable rains and field conditions have also led to replanting in some parts of the state, among other issues.

“Some fields are exhibiting variability due to the tough conditions in late April and early May,” Anderson said. “Replant has already happened in some fields due to emergence issues.

“Monitor fields for uneven emergence, disease issues, and other problems as a result of the ponding from recent rains,” Anderson wrote. “Unfortunately, many weeds are beginning to break through early herbicide applications already and will need to be treated soon after fields dry back out.”

Tornadoes throughout the Midwest on Tuesday caused widespread damage in the town of Greenfield, Iowa, with AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter stating debris was “lifted thousands of feet in the air and ended up falling to the ground several counties away from Greenfield. That’s evidence of just how intense and deadly this tornado was.”

Severe weather to give way to ‘planting window’

After the devastation of Tuesday’s severe weather and predicted rainfall over Memorial Day weekend, there is expected to be a break in rain and storms for much of the Corn Belt as the calendar turns to June. 

AccuWeather meteorologist Dale Mohler said this break, which he projects to last from May 28 and into the first weekend of June, could provide an opportunity across states to get corn and soybeans in the ground. He said there could be a five-day window available for farmers.

Mohler added that he was impressed by the recent progress made in planting, and hoped another window like this could keep things pushing ahead. He expects planting numbers to be lower this week due to the forecast.

“You just got that one storm to deal with early (next week) and then you got a pretty clean week,” Mohler said. “You get five days of dry weather, a lot of things are gonna be happening, even in the wettest areas, I would think. Some of those ponded areas in low spots in fields might take a little longer.”

Extended outlook

Much like in weeks prior, Mohler expressed optimism about the months ahead and the impact weather could have on this year’s corn and soybean crops. With warmer temperatures ahead in June and July, precipitation at timely moments will be crucial. Along with all the rain through April and May, Mohler said to expect rain to be timely throughout the summer. 

The National Weather Service’s latest seasonal precipitation outlook, released on May 16, is predicting less rainfall than average during the months of June, July, and August for western parts of the Corn Belt, such as Colorado and parts of Kansas, Texas, South Dakota, and Nebraska. 

The central Corn Belt now has equal chances of more or less precipitation, and the eastern Corn Belt — particularly states like North Carolina — are expected to have more rainfall than usual during the growing season. This is a slight change from the NWS April projections, which did not include any chances of lower precipitation. 

Temperature outlooks are more uniform. Apart from portions of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota, the entirety of the Corn Belt is projected to have above-average temperatures during the summer months.