Weather
Another dry day for much of the Corn Belt
Across the Corn Belt, significant rain is occurring across the upper Midwest. By April 16, corn planting had not yet begun in just five major production states: Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas. Elsewhere, Midwestern corn planting was slightly behind schedule, with progress ranging from 1% complete in Minnesota to 17% in Missouri.
On the Plains, rain is ending across the Dakotas and eastern Nebraska. Chilly conditions linger across the northern tier of the region, but warm weather on the central and southern Plains is promoting fieldwork and crop development. By April 16, winter wheat was heading at least 15 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average pace in Texas (51% headed) and Oklahoma (40%).
In the South, showers and thunderstorms in the vicinity of a cold front stretch from the southern Appalachians to the western Gulf Coast. Some of the rain along the Texas coast is causing local flooding. In contrast, warm, unfavorably dry conditions persist across the lower Southeast, including Florida’s drought-affected peninsula.
In the West, cool, showery weather persists across the northwestern half of the region, including northern and central California. On April 16, planting progress remained significantly behind schedule for a variety of crops, including spring wheat in Washington (20% planted vs. the 5-year average of 57%) and cotton in California (26% planted vs. 41% on average).
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