Eastern Cornbelt:
Winter weather moved into the Eastern Cornbelt at midweek, bringing snow and cold temperatures to many locations. Lows in the teens were reported in central Indiana, with highs only reaching the 20s on Nov. 28. The system left more than 13 inches of lake-effect snow in parts of northern Ohio.
Michigan was also in the storm’s path, with 1-2 feet of snow reported in parts of the Upper Peninsula and 6-12 inches across Northern Michigan. Snowfall totals in southern Michigan ranged from 2-6 inches.
Growers had 95-99% of the corn harvested in Indiana and Illinois by Nov. 26, compared with 86% in Ohio and 79% in Michigan. Warmer weather was on tap as the week progressed, though some areas were expecting rainfall by the weekend.
“Tons are still moving to the ground in our area as growers try to finish harvest and beat the next moisture front coming in,” said one Ohio contact. “The fall season has been a pretty decent one movement-wise, but we still have tons to go. I expect we will have two weeks more movement if Mother Nature holds out.”
Western Cornbelt:
A winter weather advisory was in effect late in the week for parts of southern and eastern Iowa, with 1-2 inches of snow possible by Dec. 1. Northern Missouri was bracing for rain and freezing rain from the system, with a wintry mix of precipitation expected in southeastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa as well.
Fall applications of ammonia, phosphates, and potash continued in the Western Cornbelt in late November, with the regional corn and cotton harvest reported at 98-99% complete by Nov. 26.
California:
Cool, windy weather was in the forecast for much of California as the week progressed. While rainfall totals were expected to be minor, higher elevations in Northern California were preparing for 2-4 inches of snow by the weekend.
Fall harvest activities were mostly wrapped up in the state, with minimal fertilizer buying reported for spring demand.
Pacific Northwest:
Rain and snow moved into western Oregon and Washington as the week progressed, prompting winter weather advisories on Nov. 30 for the Cascades, stretching from southern Oregon to southwestern Washington.
While up to eight inches of snow was expected at elevations around 3,500 feet, as much as 20 inches was possible in parts of the Cascades by Dec. 2. Lower elevations were bracing for several inches of rain as the system pushed through.
Weekend snowfall was also in the forecast for parts of Idaho and western Montana, but warmer weather was on tap for the first week of December, with daytime highs expected to reach the 40s and 50s on Dec. 4.
Western Canada:
Mild temperatures and a lack of snow benefitted fall fertilizer applications in Western Canada, with sources reporting heavy volumes for most products. The lack of precipitation was raising concerns about the potential for drought in 2024, however, along with fears of another active wildfire season.
According to Alberta Wildfire, there are still 69 active wildfires burning across the province since the end of the wildfire season on Oct. 31. Alberta Wildfire said it has responded to 1,119 fires since the beginning of the year and a record of 2.2 million hectares of land has been burned. The province’s five-year average prior to this year was 226,000 hectares of burned land.