Eastern Cornbelt:
Much of the Eastern Cornbelt experienced mild, dry weather during the first half of the week, but high winds and rain were on tap for many areas on March 25-26.
Forecasts warned of an inch or more of rain across central Illinois, with winds gusting to 30-40 mph. The state’s first tornado of the year was confirmed near Mason City, Ill., late on March 23, with no damage reported.
Highs across central Indiana reached the mid-60s at midweek, but a slight risk of severe weather was posted for many locations later in the week. A high-wind watch was also in effect late on March 25, with wind gusts of 60 mph possible across Indiana and northern Ohio.
Sources reported some fieldwork and application activity ahead of the precipitation, particularly in Ohio and Michigan. “It has been extremely dry here, so a lot of fertilizer and lime are spread,” said one Michigan contact. “They have been busy planting sugar beets in the thumb and Saginaw Valley. We are seeing spot outages already.”
Western Cornbelt:
Iowa’s first tornado of the season was reported late on March 23 near Fort Madison, but minimal damage was reported from the storm’s top winds of 80 mph. Rain was reported across central Missouri on March 25, but most areas were expecting a half-inch or less from the storm. Weekend highs were expected to climb back up to the high-60s and low-70s across the region.
Sources continued to report some preplant ammonia movement in parts of Missouri, as well as topdress activity on wheat. “It’s wet and cool in the Midwest this week, but the week of April 5 we should see significant movement,” said one contact.
Northern Plains:
Temperatures in southern Minnesota climbed to the 60s early in the week, but cooler weather moved in as the week advanced, along with an increased chance of precipitation across central and southern Minnesota.
Rain showers were also reported in eastern South Dakota at midweek, with reports of snow flurries in eastern North Dakota. Highs in the Dakotas were expected to top out in the 40s as the week advanced, with lows dropping into the 20s.
Soil conditions remained extremely dry in the Dakotas in late March, which reportedly allowed some early spreading activity to begin in southwestern North Dakota and parts of northwestern South Dakota. Many growers were waiting, however, with sources noting that the normal start is after Easter.
“There has been a little bit of fieldwork, but lots of second guessing what is the right thing to do right now,” added one regional contact.
Northeast:
Mild, spring weather was reported in much of the Northeast during the final week of March, with temperatures climbing to the 60s and 70s across New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. Although rain was reported at midweek in New York, New England residents enjoyed mostly clear skies.
A weekend weather system was expected to bring precipitation to much of the region, however, with rain likely in New York, Pennsylvania, and southern New England, and as much as six inches of snow possible in the mountains of northern New England. It was a drier-than-normal winter for much of the Northeast, with the Baltimore area recording just 10.9 inches of snowfall, about half of the winter average of 20.1 inches.
The mild weather prompted growers in some locations to start scratching around in late March, but sources said conditions were still too wet for fieldwork in most areas.
Eastern Canada:
A stretch of mild, spring weather was reported for much of Eastern Canada during the week, with above-normal temperatures across Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. Strong thunderstorms hit southern Ontario at midweek, however, bringing heavy rain and strong winds, with reports of snow and freezing rain in northern areas of the province.
A stronger system was expected by the weekend, with 10-20 cm of snow likely in northern Ontario and 35-55 mm of rain possible across Quebec. Forecasts also warned of “significant” wet snow in southern Quebec by March 28. Few were complaining, however, as the area needs moisture after an unseasonably dry month.
The Maritime Provinces were also bracing for a wet weekend after double-digit temperatures in New Brunswick and parts of Nova Scotia at midweek. Forecasts warned of heavy rain and snow on March 27-28, with 15-30 cm of accumulation possible for some locations.
“We have had some nice weather the past few days, and a little bit of fertilizer is moving out on the wheat ground,” said one regional contact. “I’m not aware of any planting yet as it’s still a bit early, but depending on rain, we could be in for an early spring. We do have rain in the forecast for the next few days, so that will slow things up a bit.”