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High winds threaten unharvested corn, raise fire risks

An ag meteorologist says high winds in parts of the Midwest could impact some of the U.S. corn crop that has yet to be harvested.

Brian Fuchs with the National Drought Mitigation Center says damage is likely limited to fields that had standability issues before harvest.  “Right now, I haven’t heard of any of that, but that doesn’t mean it has taken place. I don’t think we’ve seen the consistency of the high winds even with what we’ve seen over the last week. It seems like it’s been short lived.”

He says the gusty conditions are also raising the potential for fires. “It seems like one spark in a ditch or a fire in machinery out in the field, these winds can change things in a hurry.”

The National Weather Service has posted wind advisories for areas of the Southern and Central Plains and Delta regions including parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Wind gusts could reach up to 50 miles per hour through this evening.

Fuchs tells Brownfield the weather pattern helps crops dry down faster. “With those winds typically, it means we’re not seeing those low temperatures either. We’re not waiting for morning dew or morning frost to go away before harvest continues.”

But, he says, mild weather won’t last much longer. The NWS has issued frost advisories and freeze watches for parts of Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.

Brian Fuchs: