Fundamentally Speaking

By Joel Karlin
Contributing Analyst

With the government shutdown over, a number of reports and past data are now being issued, including the September weather data for the U.S. issued by NOAA.

Using these figures, we have compiled the summer (July-September) cumulative precipitation data for the top 21 corn and soybean states in inches.

The 2013 figure as a percent of the 1950-2012 average rainfall and where 2013 summer rainfall ranks in terms of percentile is also plotted.

Of note is how many of the Delta and Plains states had good precipitation over the past three months whereas much of the Corn Belt, especially some key Midwest states saw very sparse rainfall.

There are no blue bars for the states of Iowa and Illinois for their 2013 July-September cumulative rainfall of 5.41 and 6.50 inches respectively that was 47% and 60% of their 1950-2012 average ranks the lowest total for all of those years.

Surrounding states had similar low totals including Indiana where their 8.08 inches was 73% of average registering an 11.1% percentile rank, Minnesota at 6.79 inches or 66% of average and a 4.7% percentile rank and Wisconsin at 7.36 inches or 63.7% of average also with a 4.7% percentile rank.

The cool summer temperatures most of those states experienced helped offset the dry conditions and helped maintain corn yields though soybeans may be a different story, as their water needs are greater in the second half of the growing season as opposed to the first.

(KA)

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