Precipitation
The shift to El Nino brings several changes to the upcoming winter.
This recent sea of very warm water means cooler land temperatures surrounding the Gulf will be a long time arriving this fall. It even has an implication for Midwest farmers.
The National Drought Mitigation Center estimates 67% of corn and 60% of soybeans are still considered to be in drought, a slight improvement from last week when drought covered 70% of corn and 63% of soybeans.
Last week, 34% of the U.S. corn crop was covered in drought, and this week it jumped to 45%. The second crop conditions ratings of the season from USDA-NASS confirmed dryness is starting to deteriorate crop conditions.
After consecutive years of drought, some areas of Texas are now breaking records for the wettest May ever. With most of their crop left to plant, it’s forcing farmers to make some tough decisions and crop changes.
High water levels and flooding are starting to ease on the upper Mississippi River which is allowing locks to reopen and barge traffic to resume.
Farmers in the Southern Plains are finally starting to see much-needed moisture hit their fields. It may be too late for winter wheat, but it’s a hopeful sign for those needing the rain to even plant summer crops.
Dry conditions spurred by La Nina weighed on areas of the Corn Belt in 2022. As La Nina fades, and El Nino starts to make a return, meteorologists say the weather shift could also signal better crop production in 2023.
It’s been a wet spring for many parts of the Corn Belt, and John Phipps says one of the advantages of his advancing age is the ability to start worrying earlier.
Above all other years, 2022 is the year we need to be left alone to do what we know how to do best: feed, clothe and fuel our country and the world, says Caleb Hamer.