Weather Forecast: Wet Memorial Day Weekend Ahead

A deluge this past weekend dumped 4 or more inches of rainfall on parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The map below illustrates just how wet the weekend was for the Upper Midwest:

One need only look as far as news coverage of dam breaks in Central Michigan to know this degree of rainfall is not normal. Whether or not this particular event has lasting effects for 2020 crops remains unclear, but some localized replants will certainly be necessary.

As a whole, however, #plant20 is close to a wrap for corn according to this week's FBN member planting progress poll, with two notable exceptions: In North Dakota, where temperatures have been cooler than normal, and the Ohio River Valley, which has seen above-average precipitation this spring.

Emergence challenges for planted corn

Getting corn to come out of the ground hasn’t been as easy as putting it in was for many farmers across the U.S. 

A look at USDA’s crop progress estimates from Monday, May 18, continue to show corn planting progress well ahead of the 5-year average, but corn emergence remains just average.

Slower-than-expected emergence is attributable to cool spring temperatures, which have in turn limited growing degree days (GDD) even in spite of early planting:

Unfortunately, the Memorial Day weekend forecast looks a lot like last weekend—wet. A 200-mile-wide swath from Omaha to Dallas is forecast to receive 2.5 to 5 inches (or more) over the weekend. 

These high rainfall totals should accumulate west of areas that were most inundated a week ago; that westward skew and overall warmer temperatures are small silver linings.

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