News

Rain skirts winter wheat drought areas

More rain and possible severe weather is moving through central and northeastern Texas, the Mississippi Delta and into parts of the Lower Midwest, according to Brad Rippey, a meteorologist at the USDA.  The bad news is that most of the expected 2-to-6 inches of rain will miss much of the winter wheat areas currently affected by drought, but east of there, said Rippey, “they’re going to have more water than they know what to do with for the second time this year.”

The areas getting heavy rain are adding to what they received recently, said Rippey, although not as much precipitation is expected this time.

“But nevertheless, some of the subsoil moisture saturation could lead to quick flooding,” said Rippey, in an interview provided by the USDA, “and I do expect to see rather extensive lowland flooding by the end of the week in a lot of the same areas that experienced flooding about a month ago.”

Wet weather will cause fieldwork delays in the South, where, said Rippey, planting is well underway.