Weather

Severe stress on Great Plains winter wheat

On the Plains, temperatures are rebounding to above-normal levels, following an early-week chill. Meanwhile, dry conditions are maintaining severe stress on winter wheat. By November 25, a significant portion (40%) of South Dakota’s winter wheat had failed to emerge. Even in Montana, where soil moisture has improved in recent weeks, wheat may have run out of time to germinate; 32% of the crop had not emerged on November 25.

Across the Corn Belt, dry weather accompanies a slow warming trend. Still, Wednesday morning’s temperatures fell below 25° throughout the Corn Belt, with a few readings near 10°F in the upper Midwest. There are still a few fields left to harvest in the eastern Corn Belt; by November 25, the corn harvest was 97% complete (versus the 5-year average of 89%) in Michigan and 95% complete (vs. the average of 90%) in Ohio.

In the South, cool, dry weather favors late-season fieldwork. In North Carolina, for example, winter wheat planting was 79% complete by November 25. On the same date, North Carolina’s cotton harvest was 88% complete, while the soybean harvest was 65% complete.

In the West, rain is overspreading coastal areas of northern and central California. A few showers are also developing in the Pacific Northwest. Gusty winds accompany the increase in storminess. Elsewhere in the West, mild, dry weather continues to promote late-season fieldwork.