Welcome rains on the central, southern Plains; more rain for parts of the Corn Belt

Welcome rains on the central, southern Plains; more rain for parts of the Corn Belt

Across the Corn Belt, thunderstorms in the vicinity of a cold front are heaviest in the middle Mississippi Valley.  Meanwhile, cool but dry weather in the upper Midwest favors late-season planting efforts, except in areas where fields remain too wet to support farm machinery.  On May 29, U.S. corn planting was 86% complete, tied with 2011 for the second-slowest pace of the 21st century.  In 2019, only 62% of the intended corn acreage had been planted by May 29.