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Delayed fall freezes increasing crop maturity window

An ag meteorologist says the next two weeks look mostly favorable for dry down in the Eastern Corn Belt.

Michigan state climatologist Jeff Andresen says the drier weather will be beneficial for later maturing corn.

“In terms of maturation and dry down, it’s probably a near-optimal situation for most people getting these crops to move along if they haven’t matured,” he says.

He says the first freezes of fall will likely be delayed at least another week or two for much of the Midwest.

“Most of the state is behind now typically what the climatology would suggest for this, especially in the northern part of the state, and for the rest of the Midwest, it’s really only far northern areas that have seen 32 degrees or lower,” he explains.

Andresen says the warmer-than-normal temperatures are classic El Nino conditions and typically come with reduced snowfall for the region throughout the winter.

Andresen gave his outlook during this recent MSU Extension ag weather forecast.