Weather

MINNEAPOLIS (DTN) -- A wet pattern sets up for the western half of the Corn Belt for the second half of the week while daily chances for scattered showers and thunderstorms plague the Southern Plains, Mississippi Delta, and Southeast through the weekend. These are the weather factors driving the markets on Tuesday.

WET PATTERN RETURNS TO THE MIDWEST STARTING WEDNESDAY

A slow-moving front will provide some areas of heavier rainfall to the northwest Corn Belt Wednesday into Thursday with another system moving through on Friday. Precipitation is expected to linger in the Eastern Midwest this weekend. Southern areas of the Midwest may get more of a break this week with the storm track nudging north, allowing for soils to dry out for fieldwork.

SOUTHERN PLAINS REMAIN WET WITH MORE RAIN NEEDED IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS

Parts of the Southern Plains got damaging winds and large hail from severe storms over the weekend, especially across northern Texas on Sunday. Upper air troughing will keep the pattern active across Oklahoma and Texas this week with daily chances for showers and storms, some of which could be severe. The Central Plains are still dealing with widespread drought from northern Kansas into Nebraska, and the developing corn, soybeans, and maturing wheat could use more rain, but it's expected to remain spotty this week.

BOOST IN SOIL MOISTURE EXPECTED FOR THE NORTHERN PLAINS

Some spotty rain showers tagged the eastern Dakotas this past weekend, but the region could use more rain. More widespread showers may try to tag South Dakota into northern Nebraska during the middle of the week with a second round of widespread rain showers moving through later Thursday into Friday. The second round could benefit some of the drier soils in the western Dakotas. Recent isolated coverage of showers has only led to minor improvements in drought conditions.

PLANTING AND HARVEST DELAYS IN THE DELTA

Wet conditions continue across the Delta this week with a stalled front lingering in the area. Periods of heavy rain and severe storms are possible with the front, but more rain is not needed. The rainy pattern could continue into the upcoming weekend as well. While the Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, the risk for any tropical systems entering the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) and impacting the Delta looks minimal over the next week.

RAIN SHOWERS LOOK PROMISING FOR THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES

Western areas of the Prairies stayed mostly dry over the weekend, but eastern areas saw some isolated to scattered showers. Precipitation early this week will favor northern and eastern areas. Southern areas will see more disturbances push through during the second half of the week and into the weekend, benefiting early growth. However, more rain is still needed to make up the deficits in subsoil moisture and help reduce wildfire threats.

HARVEST DELAYS POSSIBLE IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL THIS WEEKEND

A drier stretch of weather across most of the main growing areas starts on Tuesday and is expected to linger into Friday before a larger system develops late this week into the weekend across southern areas. The potential for heavy rain this weekend threatens the harvest pace, but wheat could use more rain for establishment.

LATE-WEEK SHOWERS IN THE BLACK SEA

Rainfall will favor northwest areas through the first half of the week before the south and east could get in on the action by Thursday. Heavier and more consistent rain showers are needed to start making up some of the long-term deficits. Reproductive to filling wheat and developing corn will need more rain to get through the growing season, but the most consistent rain looks to stick in northwest Russia this week with a slow-moving storm system.

WHEAT HARVEST BEGINS IN CHINA THIS WEEK

Wheat harvest will begin across the North China Plain this week and drier conditions through the end of the week should lead to a good start in the harvest. Showers will become more widespread by the weekend, but the return of a drier pattern looks possible again by early next week. Developing corn and soybeans could use more rainfall, but showers will likely not be consistent enough into next week. Some of the heaviest rain will favor southeast China going into early next week.

Teresa Wells can be reached at teresa.wells@dtn.com

(c) Copyright 2025 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.