Weather

Unsettled weather across much of the Corn Belt; fair, seasonal conditions build on the Plains

Across the Corn Belt, a chilly rain is developing across parts of the upper Midwest.  Elsewhere, producers are winding down the 2024 harvest season, with 95% of the U.S. corn and 96% of the soybeans harvested by November 10.  On that date, the soybean harvest was already complete in Minnesota and the Dakotas.

On the Plains, mild weather favors late-autumn fieldwork, except in areas where rain is falling or where snow remains on the ground.  Early Wednesday, rain is focused across the eastern Plains, while snow on the central High Plains is gradually melting.  Dramatic improvements in soil moisture have led to more favorable conditions for winter wheat emergence and establishment.  Nationally, 44% of the winter wheat was rated in good to excellent condition on November 10, up from 38% on October 27.  However, some significant pockets of drought persist across the northern Plains.  

In the South, lingering warmth is confined to areas along and near the Gulf Coast.  Meanwhile, scattered freezes were noted early Wednesday as far south as North Carolina.  Southern fieldwork is proceeding with few delays, although the peanut harvest is running slightly behind schedule.  On November 10, the U.S. peanut harvest was 82% complete, versus the 5year average of 85%.

In the West, an approaching storm system is producing significant precipitation—including high-elevation snow—in the Pacific Northwest.  Cool, dry weather covers the remainder of the region.  Nearly all the intended Northwestern winter wheat acreage has been planted, while California’s cotton harvest was 65% complete by November 10.