Eastern Cornbelt:
After some wet snow over the Easter weekend, temperatures gradually warmed across much of Illinois during the week. While spotty showers continued to delay fieldwork in most of the state, temperatures reached the 70s in central Illinois on April 21-22, with weekend highs expected to tip into the low-80s.
Similar conditions were reported in Indiana, where temperatures rose from the low-40s to the mid-60s by midweek, and frequent showers kept planters on the sidelines. Weekend temperatures were expected to soar into the 70s and 80s across the state, but a return to cool, wet weather was in the forecast for the following week.
Scattered rain and gusty winds were reported across Ohio during the week, but temperatures reached the mid-60s on April 21-22, and were expected to approach the 80s by the weekend.
Growers had yet to register any progress on the planting of corn or soybeans as of April 17, while oats planting had progressed to 16 percent complete in Ohio, well behind the 29 percent five-year average.
“Everything is still at a standstill,” said one Ohio contact on April 21. “We do have warm temps forecast over the weekend, but rain is coming on Monday again and then a cool down after that. It appears this year will be a very compressed season. I guess we will test logistics from all angles. I am starting to get frustrated knowing the workload we have ahead of us.”
Western Cornbelt:
Parts of Nebraska and Iowa saw dense fog and periods of rain during the week, along with gusty winds. A round of potentially severe thunderstorms was possible in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa late in the week, followed by much warmer weekend temperatures, with highs jumping to the low-80s in some locations.
Isolated thunderstorms were also reported in Missouri as the week progressed, along with 30-40 mph wind gusts and 70-degree temperatures. Another round of wet weather was expected for parts of the state over the weekend.
Corn planting as of April 17 was reported at 4 percent complete in Missouri and 2 percent in Nebraska, while Iowa growers had yet to register any progress. Oats planting by that date had progressed to 29 percent complete in Iowa and 58 percent in Nebraska.
Northern Plains:
Wet, snowy conditions delayed fieldwork across much of the Northern Plains during the week, but the moisture was needed in many areas. While northern Minnesota was blanketed with 3-5 inches of snow at midweek, widespread rain was reported across the southern half of the state, with highs topping out in the mid-40s in Minneapolis.
After a snowy Easter weekend in parts of North Dakota, another system was taking aim at the region for the coming weekend. Forecasts warned of potentially severe weather in the Dakotas as warmer air collides with a cold front from Canada, with the possibility of another round of snow and ice by the weekend.
“It’s cold and wet, with more coming this weekend,” said one Dakota contact at midweek. Added another contact: “There’s not a lot of enthusiasm for buying right now when the western half of North Dakota is still looking at 15-35 inches of snow out their windows.”
Just 1 percent of the oat crop was seeded in Minnesota by April 17, and growers had yet to register any progress on spring wheat and barley planting. South Dakota, by contrast, had 25 percent of the spring wheat and 27 percent of the oat crop planted, while North Dakota growers were able to seed 3 percent of the spring wheat and just 1 percent of the barley crop by that date.
Sources reported a little fertilizer application happening in southwestern North Dakota before the recent moisture, and most were expecting the pace to be “fast and furious” when fields dry out and open up.
Northeast:
A powerful storm brought heavy rain, snow, and wind to parts of the Northeast early in the week, causing more than 200,000 homes and businesses in New York to lose power on April 19. The system dropped more than 14 inches of snow in Binghamton, N.Y., prompting a state of emergency and travel ban in Broome County.
Harrisburg and Williamsport, Pa., both received about three inches of snow, with roughly 54,000 power outages reported in Pennsylvania on April 19. Heavy rain and 40-60 mph winds across New England caused 22,000 power outages in Maine, 17,000 in Vermont, and 11,000 in New Hampshire.
The system also sparked rain across the Mid-Atlantic region, with most of Maryland collecting nearly an inch of precipitation. Conditions across the region improved considerably after the storm, however, with highs climbing to the 60s and 70s late in the week.
Pennsylvania growers had 2 percent of the corn crop planted by April 17, along with 11 percent of the oats. “Fieldwork has been stop-and-go, but mostly stop,” commented one regional contact.
“The early forage crops like rye are just starting to be harvested,” said another source. “I expect with the weather forecast showing nice the rest of the week, we will see a lot of rye laying in the fields. And after that, corn planting will start.”
Eastern Canada:
Snow and rain limited spring fieldwork across much of Eastern Canada during the week. A winter weather travel advisory was in effect for most of southern Ontario on April 18-19, with 4-8 cm of snow reported in Toronto and up to 10 cm in other locations.
The storm also hit southern Quebec, with 6-8 cm of snow reported in the Montreal region. Severe weather moved into the Maritimes at midweek, bringing 30-55 mm of rain that triggered flash floods warnings in some locations. The system also produced 70-90 km/h wind gusts in Nova Scotia, along with heavy rain in southern New Brunswick.
Sources said the cold, wet weather has delayed spring field activities in the region. “Things are cool and wet in Ontario,” said one source. “Most of the province had over 5 cm of snow on Monday.” One contact said some fields in southern Ontario may be “fit for planting” in a matter of days if the moisture quickly subsides, however.
“A bit of wheat topdressing started in the southwestern part of the province late last week, but the snow stopped that,” added another contact. “They should be able to get at it within a few days, and once done with that they will move straight into corn.”
Despite lingering concerns about fertilizer supplies in Eastern Canada due to Canada’s decision to impose tariffs on imports from Russia, sources expressed few doubts about spring demand. “I think many will continue with their crop plans,” said one contact. “If the wet weather continues into May there will be an adjustment, but we are still a long way off from that decision.”
Another source said there “seems to be a strong demand for nitrogen on corn with the current corn prices.” He added that growers might “back off a bit on phosphates and potash, but that remains to be seen.”