WEATHER
A major winter storm delivering snow and rain brought relief
Soil moisture remains historically low as planting approaches
Area impacted by abnormal dryness or drought was up 3% from last week
Warmer than usual temperatures are expected to impact soil moisture levels
Portions of Mississippi, Alabama received 5 inches of rain last week
Spotty precipitation limited widespread shifts
Precipitation totals have a strong possibility to trend higher than average this winter.
The U.S. Climate Prediction Center forecasts the weather pattern to persist for the next month or two, which is ideal for soybean reproductive stages, but the transition might impact the tail-end of the region’s growing season.
The southeast U.S. saw improvements, while parts of the lower Plains saw drought intensify slightly.
Improvements noted in central U.S. and both coasts