Drier-than-normal trends in the third week of May, week ending May 20, will have helped farmers to make advancements in planting, especially across Iowa, Nebraska, and the Dakotas.
READ MORE: Erratic spring weather makes the struggle real for XtremeAg farmers
This was the eighth driest third week of May in 30-plus years, according to data from WeatherTrends360. Despite drier trends, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Drought Monitor indicated that there had been improvement in drought conditions across the Plains, although this only accounted for conditions through May 16.
Temperatures were unremarkable in the Corn Belt in the third week of May. Frost occurred late in the week in North Dakota, which is one of the few states where corn planting has been slow and behind the five-year average thus far this season. Otherwise, temperatures for the Corn Belt as a whole were near or slightly above normal. Cold temperatures were a much bigger problem in the Northeast with widespread freezing temperatures Thursday morning caused issues for growers in the region.
Source: agriculture.com
Photo Credit: GettyImages-oticki
Categories: North Dakota, Crops, Corn