Across the Corn Belt, showers and thunderstorms are curtailing fieldwork, following a favorable period for corn and soybean planting. Early Wednesday, some of the heaviest rain is falling in the middle Mississippi Valley. During the week ending May 14, more than one-quarter (27%) of the U.S. corn and 18% of the soybeans were seeded, although overall planting progress for both crops—49% for corn and 30% for soybeans—is the slowest since 2019.
On the Plains, overnight thunderstorms resulted in isolated wind and hail damage, mainly across Kansas and Nebraska. A wind gust to 75 mph was reported in Russell, Kansas. Meanwhile, blazing heat continues across the drought-stricken southern Plains, negating the benefits of any isolated thunderstorms. Wednesday’s high temperatures should range from 100 to 105°F throughout central Texas. Farther north, wetness-related planting delays linger in eastern North Dakota.
