The month of June has wrapped up and it wound up a little drier than normal in the F/M area. Keep in mind, the official rainfall readings are from Hector while some other areas around town received much more rainfall (ie: west fargo)
JUNE RAINFALL REVIEW
June turned out to be an interesting month across the United States. The map below shows a stark contrast between the very dry conditions in the West and the much wetter pattern across portions of the nation’s agricultural heartland.
Rainfall was well above average across Kansas and Missouri and extended eastward through the storm corridor across Illinois and into Indiana. Frequent thunderstorm complexes and severe weather events brought repeated rounds of beneficial rainfall to many areas.
Farther north, conditions have also improved somewhat. North Dakota has become wetter, and portions of South Dakota and Nebraska finally received some timely rainfall during the past month. While moisture deficits remain in some areas, these rains have improved conditions heading into pollination and the heart of the growing season.
The June rainfall pattern has generally favored much of the Corn Belt and Central Plains, helping establish a stronger moisture foundation as crops move into their most critical stages of development.
Temperature-wise, June featured a broad corridor of cooler-than-average conditions extending from Montana southeastward into Chicago and portions of the Great Lakes region. Frequent cloud cover, recurring thunderstorm complexes, and repeated rounds of rainfall helped keep temperatures in check across many of the nation’s key agricultural areas.
The combination of timely rainfall and relatively moderate temperatures has created some of the best growing conditions in the country. As shown in the next chart, the most favorable region for crop development currently fans out from eastern Kansas northeastward through Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, and into the Great Lakes.
These areas are entering pollination and reproductive stages with adequate soil moisture, less heat stress, and generally favorable growing conditions. While weather over the next several weeks will ultimately determine final yields, this corridor presently holds some of the strongest potential for crop development as we move into the heart of summer.
