A lack of rain and record warm temperatures are raising worry about US southern Plains winter wheat crops.
According to Monday’s daily Agricultural Weather Highlights from the USDA, the mercury climbed to above 70 degrees F in parts of Nebraska and Kansas on Sunday, with readings as high as 80 degrees F expected in portions of Texas today.
Much of Hard Red Winter country has been drier than normal over the past month, with periods of well above-normal temperatures. In fact, the weather has been warm enough that winter wheat crops in Texas and Oklahoma are not dormant, while crops in Colorado, Nebraska, and the largest production state of Kansas are only semi-dormant, said a report from World Weather Ltd. With temperatures as high as they are, fields are obviously also without a protective snow cover, leaving them vulnerable to a possible sudden return to freezing temperatures.
Based on the latest US drought monitor, about 40% of American winter wheat areas were being impacted by some form of drought as of the end of December, up a couple of points from the previous week and well above 26% last year. The bulk of the dryness is concentrated farther south, with drought now impacting more than half of Oklahoma and Texas, compared to 6% and 43% a year earlier, respectively.
Kansas is holding up far better, with drought impacting about 10% of the state as of the end of December, down from around 29% the previous year.
Some cooling is likely Thursday and more will occur Friday into the weekend as some showers develop. However, World Weather said the region will still need additional moisture.
“Any precipitation that falls will be welcome, but amounts will remain lighter than usual, maintaining the need for greater moisture,” it said.
The two-week outlook doesn’t hold much promise for significant rainfall either, World Weather said.
The National Weather Service’s 6- to 10-day outlook for January 10 – 14 calls for near- or above-normal temperatures nationwide, with the northern High Plains having the greatest likelihood of experiencing unusually warm weather.
