Eastern Cornbelt:

After a cool and rainy start to the week, temperatures in central and northern Illinois climbed to the upper-80s on June 15-16, with an increased chance of thunderstorms by the weekend.

Temperatures in the 80s were also reported across central Indiana late in the week, while highs topped out in the low- to mid-70s across northern Ohio. Cool temperatures and spotty showers were common across Michigan’s lower peninsula as well.

The corn crop was 93-97% emerged in the Eastern Cornbelt and 89% emerged in Michigan by June 11, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 57% of the acreage in Ohio, 55% in Indiana, 48% in Illinois, and 38% in Michigan. The regional soybean crop was 97-98% planted and 83-92% emerged by that date.

Western Cornbelt:

High heat returned to much of the Western Cornbelt during the week, along with a smoky haze from Canadian wildfires. Highs in the 80s and 90s were reported across Iowa and Nebraska as the week progressed, with an increased chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms by the weekend.

The Southeast was hit with severe weather on June 14-15, with at least 10 tornadoes reported in Texas, Alabama, and Georgia, along with heavy rain and flooding in some locations. Albany, Ga., reportedly received more than seven inches of rain over a 24-hour period.

USDA reported that 97-98% of the regional corn crop was emerged by June 11, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 70% of the acreage in Iowa, 61% in Nebraska, and 47% in Missouri. The regional soybean crop was 93-100% planted and 86-95% emerged, while cotton planting had progressed to 97% complete in Missouri.

California:

Fertilizer movement in California remained steady in mid-June as the state’s remarkable drought recovery continues. “We are still in-season with strong demand,” said one regional contact.

Most of California was drought-free as of June 15, with only a small patch of abnormally dry conditions along the northern edge of the state, and one larger section of abnormally dry-to-moderate drought reported in the Southern California interior.

The state’s drought-stricken reservoirs have rebounded following the extraordinarily wet winter. Lake Oroville is now at 100% of total capacity after rising more than 240 feet since Dec. 1, 2022, and is presently at 127% of average capacity for this time of year. Shasta Lake, the largest in the state and the most important for the Central Valley, is at 97% of capacity.

Pacific Northwest:

Cool, wet weather settled over much of the Pacific Northwest in mid-June, with highs staying in the 70s. Forecasts warned that temperatures could drop low enough to bring snow to some of Oregon and Washington’s high Cascade peaks during the week.

Gusty winds prompted red flag fire warnings for parts of southeastern Washington and Oregon at midweek, with winds up to 35 mph and relative humidity dropping in to the 20% range.

The planting of spring wheat and barley, though delayed in May by wet conditions, had progressed to 98% complete in Montana, 99% in Idaho, and 100% in Washington by June 11. Winter wheat rated as good or excellent totaled 55% of the acreage in Washington, 52% in Idaho, 45% in Montana, and just 30% in Oregon.

Western Canada:

Dry, hot weather blanketed much of Saskatchewan and Manitoba during the week, fueling numerous wildfires and contributing to air quality alerts and heat warnings. Temperatures reached 31 C in parts of southern Manitoba on June 13, with highs in Saskatchewan reported at 31 C in Saskatoon and 29 C in Regina.

Conditions were cooler and rainier in Alberta and British Columbia, with midweek highs topping out in the upper teens. Forecasts warned of frequent thunderstorms with the cooler weather, prompting fears that lightning strikes could trigger more wildfires at mid-month. As of June 12, more than 1.4 million hectares had burned across Alberta, the most wildland area ever burned in one year in the province.

Spring planting was virtually complete across Western Canada, with the exception of some feed crops and areas that required reseeding due to weather. Fertilizer prices were starting to reset for summer fill programs, with price drops reported for ammonia, urea, and MAP at mid-month.