Ag Weather Forum

Below Normal Precipitation for N. Plains

Mike Palmerino
By  Mike Palmerino , DTN Senior Ag Meteorologist
The seven-day total precipitation outlook looks rather quiet for the Northern Plains. (DTN graphic)

Generally open weather last week allowed the corn harvest to progress in the Midwest and Northern Plains.

Corn harvest increased by 2 to 3 percentage points across the Midwest and 7 points in North Dakota. At this pace, most of the corn will be harvested in the Midwest during the next seven days. However, corn will still remain in the fields in the Dakotas with 17% still to be harvested in South Dakota and 57% in North Dakota.

The weather pattern looks to be rather quiet for the Midwest and Northern Plains through the weekend with any significant precipitation remaining off to the south and east. The eastern Midwest could see near to above normal precipitation in the six-to-10-day period while the west sees near to below normal activity. The Northern Plains is expected to see mostly below normal precipitation during the next 10 days. This will allow the corn harvest to continue.

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Soil moisture levels in the Southern Plains are much lower than they were a year ago when they were adequate to surplus. Texas is reporting that a lack of moisture has affected emergence and growth of the crop. Some light to locally moderate precipitation is expected early next week.

Favorable soil moisture conditions continue for soybeans throughout the major growing areas of Brazil. Only in the northeast (Bahia) is hot and dry weather having an impact on planting and development. If the weather patterns stay wet in central Brazil, an increase is soybean rust issues can be expected.

Soils have been trending drier in the major corn and soybean areas of central Argentina during the past seven days and now hot weather has arrived. Crop stress is increasing along with a likely slowing of planting. The next opportunity for some significant rainfall is over the weekend. Currently it looks to be a close call with the northern portions of the belt faring better than the south.

We will have our latest calculation of the sea surface temperature in the eastern Pacific Ocean for the first half of December early next week. We continue to see El Nino signatures in weather patterns around the globe including here in the US.

Michael Palmerino can be reached at michael.palmerino@dtn.com

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