Eastern Cornbelt:
A round of thunderstorms on Oct. 24-25 dropped heavy rain in parts of Illinois, leading to some flooding around tributaries and in low-lying areas. More than 2.5 inches fell in the Chicago area, where peak winds of 48 mph contributed to power outages in some locations. More rainfall was reported in central Illinois at midweek.
Steady rains were also reported across central Indiana as the week progressed, pushing Indianapolis to its fourth-wettest October on record. Northern Ohio also experienced widespread rainfall late in the week, with more precipitation expected over the Halloween weekend.
Corn planting as of Oct. 24 had progressed to 78 percent complete in Illinois, 57 percent in Indiana, and 41 percent in Ohio. The soybean harvest was rated at 70 percent complete in Ohio and 63-68 percent in Indiana and Illinois. Winter wheat planting as of Oct. 24 was estimated at 75 percent complete in Ohio and 66-67 percent in Indiana and Illinois.
Western Cornbelt:
Frosty temperatures across parts of Iowa and Nebraska over the previous weekend were followed by widespread rainfall during the final week of October, with reports of some areas catching 2-4 inches of precipitation by midweek.
Missouri was also in the crosshairs, with strong thunderstorms reported across western and central Missouri on Oct. 24 that produced several inches of rainfall as well as damaging winds and tornadoes.
The wet conditions slowed harvest activities during the week, but progress continued to track ahead of the average pace for most crops. USDA reported that Missouri growers had 81 percent of the corn in the bin by Oct. 24, compared with 60 percent in Iowa and Nebraska. The soybean harvest had progressed by that date to 88 percent complete in Nebraska, 83 percent in Iowa, and 49 percent in Missouri.
Missouri growers also had 85 percent of the rice and 53 percent of the cotton harvested by Oct. 24, with Nebraska’s sorghum harvest reported at 72 percent complete by that date.
Southern Plains:
Severe weather was reported throughout the Southern Plains during the week, producing strong winds and tornadoes, large hail, and heavy rain.
The National Weather Service confirmed that seven tornadoes hit northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri late on Oct. 24, while remnants of the “bomb cyclone” that slammed the West Coast brought needed moisture and gusty winds to Colorado on Oct. 26.
A band of strong thunderstorms also moved through Oklahoma on Oct. 26-27, prompting tornado warnings in western Oklahoma and for multiple counties in the Oklahoma City metro. A line of fast-moving thunderstorms in central Texas at midweek produced 60 mph winds and half-inch hail in some locations, causing widespread power outages.
Sources reported steady progress on the harvest of corn, soybeans, cotton, sorghum, and sunflowers in the region. Kansas growers had 57 percent of the soybeans in the bin by Oct. 24, while the corn harvest had progressed to 84 percent in Kansas, 58 percent in Colorado, and 94 percent in Texas. The sunflower harvest was estimated at 42 percent in Colorado and 53 percent in Kansas by that date.
While Texas growers had fully 40 percent of the cotton picked by Oct. 24, progress was lagging at 18 percent in Oklahoma and only 5 percent in Kansas. The sorghum harvest, meanwhile, had progressed to 95 percent complete in Texas, 61 percent in Colorado and Kansas, and 54 percent in Oklahoma.
Growers were also pecking away at winter wheat planting, which was reported at 97 percent complete in Colorado, 84 percent in Kansas, and 72-73 percent in Oklahoma and Texas.
South Central:
Strong winds battered parts of northern Arkansas over the previous weekend, with tornado watches in effect for some areas on Oct. 24. Thunderstorms and gusty winds also moved through Middle Tennessee early in the week. A frost advisory was in effect for central Kentucky at midweek, with lows dropping to the mid-30s in some locations.
The region’s worst weather hit southern Louisiana at midweek, with reports of severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, and a number of reported tornadoes leaving nearly 2,500 residents and businesses without power on Oct. 27. A tornado watch was also posted for southern Mississippi at midweek as a line of powerful thunderstorms moved through the state.
The cotton harvest was lagging in the region, with progress as of Oct. 24 estimated at 73 percent complete in Louisiana, 58 percent in Arkansas, 41 percent in Mississippi, and just 25 percent in Tennessee. Fully 83 percent of the Arkansas cotton crop was rated as good or excellent on that date, compared with 68 percent in Tennessee, 62 percent in Mississippi, and 51 percent in Louisiana.
The regional rice harvest had progressed to 94-100 percent complete by Oct. 24. The corn harvest was also well-advanced at 78-86 percent complete in Kentucky and Tennessee, while the soybean harvest was estimated at 78-87 percent in Louisiana and Mississippi, 70 percent in Arkansas, and 44-46 percent in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Southeast:
Stormy weather was the theme for the Southeast as the week progressed. The powerful nor’easter that blasted the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions during the week prompted warnings of coastal flooding in Virginia’s Alexandria and Arlington counties on Oct. 28-29.
Some parts of North Carolina were hit with strong thunderstorms early in the week, which followed an earlier band of storms that produced large hail in some areas over the previous weekend. More stormy weather was expected in eastern areas of the state on Oct. 28.
Georgia was also bracing for wet, windy weather as the week progressed, with many areas reporting 1-2 inches of rainfall by Oct. 28. Tornado watches were in effect for southern Alabama at midweek, with rounds of showers and gusty winds expected across central Alabama later in the week. Strong storms also produced heavy rainfall and gusty winds in central and southern Florida during the week.
The regional harvest slowed in late October, with progress lagging on cotton and peanuts. Just 14 percent of South Carolina’s cotton was picked by Oct. 24, compared with 22-27 percent in the rest of the region. USDA assigned good or excellent ratings to 74-84 percent of the cotton acreage in Virginia, South Carolina, and Alabama, and 59-68 percent in Georgia and North Carolina.
The peanut harvest was 69 percent complete in Florida and Virginia, 53-55 percent in Georgia and North Carolina, and 45-47 percent in South Carolina and Alabama. Fully 85-92 percent of the peanut crop in Virginia and South Carolina was rated as good or excellent in late October, along with 77-79 percent of the acreage in Alabama and North Carolina, and 64-70 percent in Florida and Georgia.