Rains Continue to Criss-Cross The Midwest and Mid-South

Rains continue to criss-cross the Midwest and mid-South, forcing even more corn and soybean harvest delays. And, the trend's expected to stay in place for the next couple of weeks, forecasters say.

After rainfall this week that addded to the almost 300% of normal precipitation for parts of the Corn Belt in the last 6 weeks, harvest is effectively stalled in much of the region. While the rain won't be as widespread through the weekend and just beyond, seasonably cool temperatures in the next few days will keep drying at a minimum, says MDA Weather Services senior ag meteorologist Don Keeney.

"Rains have increased across the Midwest and Delta, which are stalling corn and soybean harvesting. Rains should remain persistent in the southeastern Midwest today and again early next week, which will keep fieldwork there very slow," Keeney says.

Farmers in parts of the Corn Belt -- a stretch comprising eastern Nebraska through Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana -- have had more than 300% of their normal rainfall over the last 45 days; parts of southwestern Iowa have received 322% of normal, MDA data show. Though rainfall through early next week will continue to wet trend, there will be a break by mid-week, allowing some harvest progress to resume.

"Drier weather in the western Midwest will allow harvesting there to improve again. Drier weather in the Plains will favor winter wheat planting," Keeney says.

Looking a little further down the road, the 16- to 30-day outlook from MDA shows warmer temperatures, but potentially wetter conditions through October. While these conditions could be ideal for the winter wheat crop being sown right now, it could keep corn and soybean harvest moving slowly, Keeney says.

"Our latest 16- to 30-day temperature outlook has trended warmer across the Midwest, Delta, and Southeast. The milder trend in the southern Plains, Midwest, and Delta will favor winter wheat establishment. The precipitation outlook has trended wetter in the southern Plains, west-central and southern Midwest, northern Delta, and Southeast, which will improve moisture supplies for winter wheat establishment," he says. "Also, the rains in the west central and southern Midwest and northern Delta will slow corn and soybean harvesting."