Wintry Mix to Stunt Midwest Harvest

BOTTOM LINE WEATHER POINTS  
– Rain and wet snow will temporarily halt harvesting in the eastern half of the Midwest.
– Colder weather should come in behind the storm, firming up fields for farm equipment.
– Midwest corn faces strong winds from weekend storm racing across the Grain Belt.

As if Midwest farmers haven’t had enough weather struggles for one season, heavy rains are expected to sidetrack the harvest yet again. Midwest corn will be buffeted by strong gusty winds in a storm that races across the Grain Belt during the weekend.

Rain and slushy snow will temporarily halt harvesting in the Eastern Midwest. In the Western Corn Belt, the harvest will limp along where fields are still soft and spongy from heavy rainfall. Colder weather behind the storm will harden fields, but a deep freeze would be required to support heavy harvesting equipment.

Dryness is becoming worrisome in the Southwest Plains, where dry conditions have settled in over the past 3-4 weeks. Gusty winds today will worsen dry field conditions in Texas and Oklahoma. Hard red winter wheat farms are not expected to receive any significant rainfall in the next week.

Strong gusty winds are predicted for the weekend along with a blast of polar air barreling into the Plains that is expected to produce 35-45 mile per hour wind gusts in Nebraska corn and Oklahoma wheat.

Rain will mix with sleet and snow tomorrow, in northwesterly winds behind the storm, but conditions will be too mild for accumulating snow.

Cold air will rapidly move east in an upper-air trough. By Wednesday, mild 50s to low 60sF may develop in the Central Plains, when the jet stream lifts northward.

Another cold wave may develop late next week when a short-wave disturbance in Canada could dig a deep trough, delivering a batch of polar air to the Grain Belt.