Eastern Cornbelt:
A stretch of summer-like days pushed temperatures into the 80s in the Eastern Cornbelt during the week, and ushered in some severe weather as the week progressed.
Highs in Illinois on April 20 reached 81 degrees in Chicago and 75 degrees in Joliet, with a severe thunderstorm warning posted for several northern Illinois counties on April 19 and a hazardous weather outlook in effect for most of northern Illinois on April 20.
Highs in Indianapolis, Ind., climbed to the low- to mid-80s on April 20, but gusty winds prompted a red flag fire warning for parts of the state on that date. A cold front dropped highs to the 50s and 60s by April 21, with weekend showers expected to produce a half-inch to 1.5 inches of rain across the state.
Similar conditions were reported in Ohio, with summer-like temperatures earlier in the week followed by cooler weather and an increased chance of rain on April 20-21. Highs in the low-80s were reported across the state at midweek, with several locations tying or breaking their daily record highs.
A flurry of spring fieldwork pushed the corn planting pace to 10% complete in Illinois and 3% in Indiana by April 16, with soybean planting estimated at 4% complete in Illinois and 2% in Indiana. Oats planting was 41% complete in Ohio by that date, well ahead of the 25% five-year average.
Western Cornbelt:
A cold front pushed through eastern Nebraska and western and central Iowa on April 19-20, producing strong thunderstorms that included damaging winds, hail, and heavy rain.
Local news reports confirmed golf ball- to tennis ball-sized hail in Auburn, Neb., at midweek, and tornado watches were posted for multiple Iowa locations on April 19-20. Midweek rainfall totals in Iowa were confirmed at 2.82 inches in Corning, 2.04 inches in Ames, 1.25 inches in Des Moines, 1.05 inches in Iowa Falls, and 0.82 inches in Fort Dodge.
Much cooler weather was on tap after the storms, with temperatures in Iowa and Nebraska dropping to the 40s and 50s on April 20-22. Lows in the upper-20s and low-30s were in the weekend forecast for both states.
The warm, dry weather at mid-month pushed planting progress to well ahead of the five-year average in the region. Corn planting as of April 16 was 30% complete in Missouri, 7% in Iowa, and 2% in Nebraska, with soybean planting estimated at 3-5% complete in Missouri and Iowa. Missouri growers also had fully 30% of the rice crop planted by that date, with oats planting estimated at 51-52% complete in Iowa and Nebraska.
Northern Plains:
Winter continued its hold on the Northern Plains during the week, with a winter storm watch posted for portions of northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
After scattered showers of rain and sleet earlier in the week, forecasts called for a mix of rain and snow on April 20-21, with heavy snow accumulation of six inches or more possible in northern Minnesota. Gusty winds of up to 45 mph were expected to accompany the precipitation.
The spring thaw pushed the Red River to minor flooding stage at 30.3 feet in Grand Forks, N.D., on April 18, with current forecasts calling for levels to reach moderate flood stage at 40 feet by the weekend. Moderate-to-major flooding is expected along most of the mainstem Red River in the coming weeks.
Northeast:
New England posted highs in the 60s and 70s as the week progressed, but rain was in the weekend forecast for much of the region. The same was true for New York and New Jersey, while highs in the upper-80s were expected across central Pennsylvania by the end of the week, prompting warnings of elevated fire risks due to gusty winds in tandem with the heat.
Red flag fire warnings were also in effect for portions of the Mid-Atlantic region during the week, particularly in Maryland due to dry and windy conditions. Weekend forecasts called for scattered showers and slightly cooler weather, however.
Corn planting was underway in parts of Pennsylvania, and growers in the state had 42% of the oats crop seeded by April 16, well ahead of the 27% five-year average. “The ground was in really good shape and the soil temperature was warm, so even if the calendar showed it was plenty early, the corn planters were seen in the fields,” said one regional contact.
Eastern Canada:
After unseasonably mild temperatures in the 20s C across much of Eastern Canada in mid-April, the region saw cooler weather and an increased chance of showers as the week progressed, with snow likely in northern Ontario.
Wet weather blanketed much of the Maritimes early in the week, with scattered showers reported in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia on April 17-19. A cold front was expected to bring rain to southern areas of Ontario and Quebec later in the week, with up to 10-23 cm of snow in northwestern Ontario.
Spring fieldwork was underway in the region as weather conditions allowed. “We had a good little run end of last week into the weekend, with a lot of wheat ground finished up,” reported one Ontario source at midweek. “Then a big drop on Monday, below freezing at night and snow, so a little slow down. We should get going again by tomorrow.”