From Oct. 30 through Nov. 5, for the second week in a row, rain provided drought relief from the western Gulf Coast region and lower Mississippi Valley into the Great Lakes States, according to the Nov. 8 USDA Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin.
Two-week rainfall topped 5 inches from northeastern Texas into parts of the middle Mississippi Valley, while a much larger area received at least 2 inches. Daily-record rainfall totals on Nov. 4 included 2.43 inches in Kansas City, Missouri.
The rain resulted in modest river rises in the Mississippi Basin, although much of the precipitation initially went into replenishing topsoil moisture rather than running off. The Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, with a stage near -7.0 feet on Nov. 5, has risen approximately 3.8 feet since a record-low water level was established on Oct. 17.
Another area of drought-easing precipitation extended inland from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies. Northwestern precipitation helped to establish high elevation snowpack and benefited recently planted winter wheat. However, the recent turn toward colder weather in the West limited wheat growth.
The warmest weather, relative to normal, covered the Midwest and Northeast. Temperatures rose to near the 80-degree mark as far north as the western Corn Belt, with 80°F readings also dotting the Ohio Valley. On Nov. 4, warmth in the South and Midwest led to a daily-record high in St. Louis, Missouri, of 83°F.
Mostly dry, cooler-than-normal weather dominated nearly all major farming areas of Argentina, providing little to no drought relief and raising concern for additional frost damage to immature winter grains. Measurable rainfall was generally confined to Buenos Aires and the northeast, with near complete dryness in other parts of the country. Below-normal temperatures accompanied the dryness.
According to the government of Argentina, sunflowers and corn were 39 and 23% planted, respectively, as of Nov. 3; corn was 16% planted in Buenos Aires, compared with 54% last year. The report also noted visible damage to flowering and filling wheat from the recent frost.
A second week of widespread, locally heavy showers provided additional moisture for soybeans and other emerging summer crops in Brazil. Rainfall covered a broad area extending from northern Minas Gerais northward into Tocantins, including key farming areas in western Bahia.
According to the government of Mato Grosso, soybeans were 94% planted as of Nov. 4, compared with the 5-year average of 82%. In Paraná, first-crop corn and soybeans were 91 and 67% planted, respectively, as of Oct. 31; in addition, wheat was 72% harvested.
