Persistent heat and limited rainfall continue to challenge crops across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. DTN meteorologist John Baranick says the region entered the growing season with a moisture deficit that has continued to worsen. “We didn’t have a whole lot of snow cover over the winter, so that didn’t put us in great shape to start spring,” Baranick said. “We’ve been just getting spits and spats of rain here and there, and it’s been very, very much below normal for a lot of areas.” Looking farther ahead, Baranick says a strong El Niño pattern is expected to influence weather into 2027. “It’s probably going to be the strongest one in the last 75 years.”
