Weather

Drought Impacting Winter Wheat on the Plains

On the Plains, drought continues to limit winter wheat emergence in South Dakota (5% emerged versus the 5-year average of 32%), Nebraska (16 vs. 41%), Colorado (20 vs. 37%), and Montana (4 vs. 15%). Meanwhile, dry weather has returned to the southern Plains, following a period of wet weather that benefited rangeland, pastures, and winter grains, but was a concern for open-boll cotton.

Across the Corn Belt, showers are gradually ending across the lower Great Lakes region. Recent soil moisture improvements in the southern and eastern Corn Belt are benefiting newly planted winter wheat. Elsewhere, mild, dry weather continues to promote a rapid harvest pace, especially across the upper Midwest.

In the South, showers and thunderstorms linger along and near the southern Atlantic Coast. Across the remainder of the region, summer crop harvesting and other fieldwork activities remain limited in the wake of recent heavy rainfall.

In the West, dry weather and record-setting high temperatures favor a rapid fieldwork pace. However, dryness remains a concern with respect to Northwestern winter grains. Oregon’s winter wheat had not yet begun to emerge by September 30, compared to the 5-year average of 12%.