Upper Midwest will remain area of concern through spring

The extended forecast from the National Weather Service calls for elevated chances of above-normal temperatures for April-June across much of the country, including most of the major corn and soybean production areas. The exception is far western/northwestern areas of the Corn Belt, which are expected to see “equal chances” for normal, above-normal and below-normal temps. The 90-day outlook calls for above-normal precipitation over the southeastern quadrant of the country, including the southern Corn Belt, Mid-South, Delta and Southeast. Above-normal precip is also expected over most of Nebraska and Kansas and all but northeastern South Dakota. The northern and far northwestern Corn Belt is expected to see “equal chances” for precip. An area of below-normal precip is likely in the far southwestern Plains, including much of the Texas Panhandle and West Texas.

The Seasonal Drought Outlook calls for drought to persist across much of Iowa, though some improvement is likely in southwestern areas of the state. Drought is also expected to persist across most of Minnesota and a large portion of Wisconsin.