In the latest Second Tuesday at 9 webinar, UNL Meteorologist and Climate Resiliency Extension Educator Eric Hunt shared an update on weather expectations for the 2025 growing season. Watch this month's webinar for insights on planting windows and anticipated precipitation events throughout April, the outlook for severe weather this spring, an update on drought development in the Midwest and more.
Key Takeaways
Open planting windows in the western Corn Belt starting later this week. May be an extended open window through Easter. Freeze risk south of Highway 30 in central and eastern Nebraska later in April currently pretty low. Eastern Corn Belt will have delays and seems probable some of acreage in the mid-south may be lost for the season after last week's historic precipitation and flooding if replanting is not possible or allowed.
Pasture conditions likely to be a major challenge this year in western Nebraska and much of the High Plains. Some of the Sandhills have had beneficial moisture of late but the prognosis in the High Plains is not great. There is a path to a better season but is highly contingent upon robust precipitation in the next six weeks.
Precipitation more likely across the region with possible severe weather risk in the last part of April and early May. Western ridging may return in May and if so, precipitation would be less frequent and severe weather risk would be reduced across the central U.S.
Outlook for summer and early fall shows warm and dry probable for all of Nebraska and the broader region. Placement of summer ridge will be critical. A ridge centered over Vancouver would be favorable for periodic cold fronts and precipitation, especially eastern Nebraska through Ohio. A ridge centered over eastern Montana is a drought signal for the Plains/western Corn Belt but moisture east of the Mississippi would still be possible. A ridge centered over Minneapolis means a strong likelihood of drought or flash drought for the entire Corn Belt and Central/Northern Plains.
Winter wheat benefited from recent moisture in the Plains but additional moisture is needed in northern Oklahoma, west central Kansas, and Nebraska Panhandle. Corn and soybean production challenges are possible in any season. From a weather standpoint on production challenges, this season could be a battle between avoiding significant planting delays in the Eastern Corn Belt and avoiding a flash drought in the Western Corn Belt. There's a possibility that needle gets threaded and neither occurs. But that is going to be contingent upon Indiana/Ohio drying out and warming up soon, sufficient late April to June moisture in the Western Corn Belt, and that ridge not being centered between the Rockies and Ontario in mid-summer.
A Nebraska Extension service, Second Tuesday at 9 is free to the public, and the next webinar will kick off at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 13. Register online to attend.
