More Rain Dumped on Corn Belt, Planting Behind Schedule

For the second consecutive year, a cool, wet weather pattern has delayedcorn planting in the nation's breadbasket. Corn planted after the middle of Mayis more vulnerable to summer heat and may not reach maturity before the firstfrosts arrive. Much of an area from Missouri to Ohio has been very wet duringthe month of April with rainfall running 120-200% of normal.One difference between last spring and this spring is that all of theMidwest was running behind schedule last year at this time, while this year,it's mostly the area from Missouri to Ohio and Michigan. The northwesterncorner of the Midwest corn belt is actually running ahead of schedule, as oflate April. The cool, wet pattern is forecast to last another 1-2 weeks acrossthe Midwest. By the middle of May, corn planting from Missouri to Ohio may berunning as much as three to four weeks behind schedule.

A stationary front draped across the midsection of the nation will continueto dump rain over the corridor from Missouri to Ohio through the end of theweekend. Some areas will have up to 5 additional inches of rain and flooding isalready impacting some areas and is likely to occur in many othercommunities.