The first major snowfall of the year and a cold snap set to sweep into the northern Midwest could harm some late-maturing corn and soybeans crops and delay the harvest, an agricultural meteorologist and the National Weather Service said on Thursday.
The storm is centered in a small area across northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, including the fertile Red River Valley, where farmers are still harvesting their corn and soybean crops after the worst drought in half a century devastated U.S. grain this year.
Minnesota is the third largest soybean producing state in the United States and the fourth largest corn state, based on its harvest last year. North Dakota ranks number 10 in soybean production.
"There is rain changing to snow in the upper Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota," said John Dee, meteorologist for Global Weather Monitoring.
"It's a small geographical area that grows mainly spring wheat and soybeans," Dee said.
He said from 5 to 8 inches of snow was expected by late Thursday with locally heavier amounts. "It's an isolated storm and unique for this time of year. The snow should begin melting beginning Friday through the weekend," he said.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/04/us-markets-crops-weather-idUSBRE8930UU20121004
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