CROPS/WEATHER
Eastern Cornbelt:
A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for much of central and northern Indiana on July 20, with forecasts warning of heavy rain, large hail, and damaging winds. The threat extended across northern Ohio as well, with parts of southern Michigan also bracing for potentially strong storms.
Drought conditions continued to cover most of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan at mid-month. Good or excellent ratings were assigned to 40-41% of the corn and soybeans in Illinois on July 16, compared with 60% in Indiana, 63-72% in Ohio, and 34-41% in Michigan.
Western Cornbelt:
High heat and humidity sparked strong storms across the Western Cornbelt at mid-month, though a cold front was expected to drop temperatures to the low-80s as the week progressed.
Rain, hail, and damaging winds moved through parts of Nebraska and western Iowa at midweek. The worst storms were reported in western Missouri, however, where hailstones as large as tennis balls and softballs hit areas near Pleasant Hill, Harrisonville, and Garden City on July 18.
USDA placed 30-31% of Missouri’s corn and soybeans in the good or excellent categories on July 16, compared with 53-63% in Nebraska and 58-64% in Iowa. Missouri’s cotton and rice were 68% and 79% good or excellent, respectively, while 66% of Nebraska’s sorghum crop fell into those two categories on July 16.
Southern Plains:
High heat and strong storms battered the Southern Plains in mid-July. Large hail and 70-mph winds in central Kansas on July 16 caused structural damage and closed a portion of Interstate 70 due to toppled semis and campers.
Heat index readings reached the upper-90s and low triple digits across Oklahoma as the week progressed. Texas, meanwhile, continued to bake under a record-breaking heatwave, with Austin on July 19 notching 10 consecutive days of temperatures at or above 105 degrees.
Parts of New Mexico were also under excessive heat warnings and heat advisories on July 18, while some northern areas of the state were hit with large hail and damaging winds early in the week. El Paso on July 19 registered its 34th consecutive day with triple-digit temperatures.
Crop conditions varied widely across the region. Just 26% of the Texas cotton crop was rated as good or excellent on July 16, compared with 53% in Kansas and 68% in Oklahoma. Corn in the good or excellent categories totaled 74% of the acreage in Colorado, 61% in Texas, and 54% in Kansas, with 58% of the Kansas soybean crop also rated as good or excellent.
The sorghum crop was fully 83% good or excellent in Colorado on July 16, compared with 72% in Oklahoma, 63% in Texas, and 50% in Kansas.
South Central:
Sweltering temperatures were reported in Arkansas during the week, with highs in the upper-90s and heat index readings reaching the 110-120 range. The heat dome stretched across Louisiana and Mississippi as well, pushing temperatures to the mid-90s for multiple days.
Heavy rain and gusty winds plowed through Middle Tennessee and western Kentucky at midweek, prompting flood warnings after rainfall totals reached 4-6 inches in some locations.
Crop conditions were generally favorable in the region at mid-month. Fully 78% of Tennessee’s corn was rated as good or excellent on July 16, compared with 55% in Kentucky. Soybeans in those two categories totaled 77-78% of the acreage in Louisiana and Mississippi, 65% in Arkansas, and 59% in Kentucky.
Louisiana’s cotton crop was 84% good or excellent, along with 73% of the acreage in Mississippi and 69% in Arkansas. The regional rice crop was 79% good or excellent in Texas, compared with 68% in Arkansas and Mississippi, and 60% in Louisiana.
Southeast:
A powerful EF3 tornado caused extensive damage in parts of central North Carolina on July 19, and forecasts warned of potentially strong thunderstorms in the Sandhills again on July 20. The midweek storm also hammered parts of Virginia and West Virginia.
Strong thunderstorms tracked through northern Alabama and northern Georgia on July 20 as well. A heat advisory was in effect on July 20 for Middle Georgia, with heat index values climbing to 105 degrees. Florida was also on track to record its hottest July on record.
Favorable crop conditions were reported in the Southeast at mid-month. Fully 80-81% of North Carolina’s corn and soybeans were rated as good or excellent on July 16, while cotton in those two categories totaled 64% of the acreage in the Carolinas, 67% in Georgia, 80% in Alabama, and 96% in Virginia.
Peanuts were also flourishing, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 64% of the acreage in Georgia, 75% in Florida, 80% in Alabama, 80-81% in the Carolinas, and 96% in Virginia.