As we sit here on a Friday, we are looking forward to a cool down into the upper 80s for the weekend. That has gotten many concerned about the damage this recent heat snap could have done to crops and livestock alike. It also begs the question as to what we can expect in the future. Harvest season is a precarious time, because no matter what the crop tours and USDA estimates say, nothing counts until it is in the bin, and dry plants are susceptible to weather damage.
Ryan Martin is an Ag Meteorologist and he’s just revealed his thoughts on what September and October could look like in the Midwest. He says that before the heat wave, we had some nice August rains which helped relieve some of the drought stress we saw in the corn belt.
The problem though is that the rains created a story of the “haves and the have-nots.” There have been some areas that are still really hurting. What we have seen though is that those who got rains got an extreme benefit, and more rains fell on areas that really needed it.
Martin says he is forecasting drier weather at least through September. That should give many areas a good jump on harvest. But also, be cautious as Martin calls October a “wild card.”
