Farm Progress America, June 14, 2024

Mike Pearson checked in with Ag meteorologist Greg Soulje to see what he is watching as summer approaches.

With most of the country having a warmer than an average spring, Soulje thinks that it's a trend that will around this summer.

The recent wet pattern in the central states could be an indication that El Nino is winding down sooner than anticipated and it could mean a La Nina pattern to begin this summer.

The Corn Belt could see higher temperatures and less rainfall which could be troublesome given the wet spring in the area.

He points out that the warmth is prevalent from the Northwest Pacific to the Rio Grande River.

An active tropical storm season could be additional bursts of rain for the Southeast.

Into the middle of the summer, Soulje sees a mix of heat and cold temperatures and no long term heat spells or droughts.

By the time, August rolls around, meteorologists will have a better handle on La Nina, but it does look like above average temperatures for the season and timely rains will be essential to get this crops across the finish line.

For now, recent rains have wiped out droughts in Iowa and Missouri for the first time in four years.

And the rain out west is giving farmers there dependent on irrigation a little breathing room.

Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Mike Pearson, farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness .