WASHINGTON — It’s no surprise that after a very cold and snowy April, that corn planting progress across the Corn Belt is off to a slower than normal start. Nationally, corn planting progress is only about 5% complete, down from a 5-year average of 14%. States further south, such as Texas, Tennessee, and North Carolina are the most advanced, but the further north you head, the faster planting progress trails off. Central states like Missouri, Kansas, and Kentucky saw planting progress by April 22nd, but each trailing their respective 5-year average paces. Missouri 16% complete vs 32% average, Kansas 15% complete vs 24% average, and Kentucky 10% complete vs 21% average. Even further north, into key producing states in the heart of the Corn Belt, planting as of April 22nd was either negligible or had not started yet. Illinois and Indiana were 4% and 2% planted, respectively, compared to average paces of 20% and 5%, respectively. By this time, Iowa is usually about 11% planted, Minnesota 13% planted, and Ohio 3% planted.
This week, April 22-28, has been really the first week of mostly favorable conditions for planting across the entire Corn Belt. The snow has melted from Iowa, the Dakotas, a majority of Minnesota, as well as northern Illinois and high temperatures for the week are averaging in the 60s for many, albeit still a degree or two below normal. This week has been and is expected to continue to be drier than normal with minimal rainfall amounts for much of the region. Despite a drier than normal week, however, the melting snow in the Upper Plains/Midwest has caused some minor to moderate flooding along many rivers and streams. While waterways could remain swollen over the next several days, the saving grace this year is the lack of rainfall which would have only exacerbated the flooding.
Next week, April 29-May 5, temperatures across the Central and Northeastern US are finally forecast to trend above normal while the Southeast trends near to slightly below normal. But with those warmer temperatures comes a mostly wetter than normal week for many in the Plains. States more to the east, including southern Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania, however, will see drier than normal trends which will aid planting progress. In the Plains, the week is forecast to start with mostly favorable conditions with just a few scattered showers, but by mid to late week, heavier rains are expected to spread across the region with the potential for severe weather in parts of TX, OK, KS, IA, MO, NE, and AR. The rains next week could provide some relief to drought-stricken Kansas, but still largely miss western Oklahoma, northern Texas, and the Southwest where severe to exceptional drought conditions remain. Following a bit of a rainy start to May, much of the month is projected to trend warmer and drier than normal throughout the Corn Belt. This will allow many to play catch up with planting progress.
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