Eastern Cornbelt:
Spotty fieldwork was underway in parts of Illinois during the week, although midweek temperatures plunged into the 40s after highs in the 60s earlier. By the Easter Weekend, temperatures across the state were expected to climb into the low-70s, with sources expecting a flurry of spring field activities.
Indiana was also expecting weekend highs in the 60s and 70s, although snow showers were reported in northwest Indiana along the lake on April 1. Several inches of snow was also possible across northern Ohio on that date, with highs only reaching the low-30s in northeastern areas of the state. Weekend highs in Ohio were expected to reach the 50s and 60s, however.
Western Cornbelt:
Favorable weather sparked a flurry of spring fieldwork in western Iowa in late March. Although spotty rains slowed the pace in other locations at midweek, sources said preplant ammonia applications were also starting in central Nebraska and eastern Iowa during the week.
Freeze watches were in effect for central Missouri at midweek, but forecasts for the Easter Weekend promised temperatures in the 60s and 70s across much of the state.
Southern Plains:
High winds and warm weather sparked some wildfires in central Kansas early in the week, while cooler temperatures at midweek prompted a freeze warning for the Kansas City area. Local reports said Kansas City recorded no snowfall during the month of March, the first time in 17 years.
Cooler weather also moved into northern Oklahoma at midweek, with the potential for freezing temperatures overnight on March 31. Breezy, mild temperatures were on tap for much of the state by the Easter Weekend, however.
Denver, Colo., posted its second snowiest March on record, but temperatures across eastern Colorado were expected to climb into the upper-60s and low-70s as the week advanced.
Temperatures across central Texas also hit the 70s at midweek, but lows in the 30s were in the forecasts for the Houston area on April 1. While southern Texas remained in drought, scattered showers were possible in other areas of the state as the week advanced, coming less than a week after strong storms brought rain, hail, and damaging winds to parts of the state.
Sources reported a flurry of spring fieldwork and planting across the region in late March. Corn planting was winding down in central Texas, with growers now turning to cotton, milo, and beans. “The planting conditions have been very good,” said one contact. “It’s a little on the dry side, but normal pasture operations are underway and it looks to be a good run, other than the sticker shock for those who have not priced fertilizer since last summer.”
South Central:
A series of powerful storms brought heavy rain, flooding, damaging winds, and tornadoes to many parts of the South Central region on March 27.
The first round churned through eastern Texas and western Louisiana during the day, spawning at least five tornadoes in Texas and producing baseball-sized hail in Louisiana. In addition to the five in Texas, ten more tornadoes were reported across the South Central region over the weekend.
The system also produced torrential rain, with more than seven inches falling in Nashville, Tenn., over the weekend, contributing to at least seven weather-related deaths. While no tornadoes were confirmed in Arkansas, the state was bludgeoned by punishing winds that caused widespread power outages across southern and northeastern portions of the state.
Forecasts warned of a second system that was expected to bring an additional 1-2 inches of rain to Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky on March 30-31, prompting a flash flood watch for the region that extended to April 1. As of March 30, Nashville had already posted the second wettest month on record.
The surplus moisture has definitely slowed spring fieldwork in the region. “We were starting to see some movement in the Mid-South but unfortunately that rain event that came through late last week has really slowed us down again,” said one contact. “We are hoping for some better weather this week and next to get us back open again.”
Southeast:
The same powerful weather system that brought heavy rain and flooding to Tennessee and Kentucky also battered parts of the Southeast over the previous weekend. Severe thunderstorms were reported across North Carolina on March 28, with local reports of lowland flooding in Virginia as well.
Severe weather watches were also in effect in northern Georgia over the weekend, with reports of damaging winds and heavy rain. An earlier round of storms impacted Alabama the most, however, after a string of tornadoes on March 25 left at least five people dead and thousands without power.
Much of Florida was bracing for cooler temperatures as the week progressed after several days of near-record highs. Sources reported brisk field activities and fertilizer movement in the state in late March, although one contact said the dry weather has delayed applications on hay fields in some areas.
“Raw materials are being shipped out by truck as soon as they are railed to our bins,” reported one regional contact at midweek.