DES MOINES, Iowa – According to the USDA’s April 7 crop and weather report, back-to-back storms delivered heavy rain from the Southeastern Plains into the Lower Great Lakes region, while early-April snow blanketed an area from the Dakotas into the Upper Great Lakes region.

The report said some of the rain was accompanied by severe weather – high winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes – with high-wind events affecting the Lower Great Lakes region (on March 31) and the Central Corn Belt (on April 2).

Additional heavy rain fell from the Southern Plains into the Midwest. Record-setting rainfall for April 3 included 2.85 inches in Lawton, Okla., following a March total of 0.16 inch, and 1.32 inches in Waterloo, Iowa, the report added.

Justin Glisan, State of Iowa climatologist with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in Des Moines, told Farm World, as a result, “Late March and early April have been particularly wet across much of the Central and Eastern Corn Belt, which also coincides with expanding drought conditions following a dry winter.

“Overall, soil moisture profiles have experienced substantial recharge; however, they remain drier at the start of the growing season in many locations, particularly in pockets of western and southern Iowa, and from central and southern Illinois through northern Indiana and Ohio,” he said.

In Indiana, sporadic storms provided above-average precipitation levels in many parts of the state, the report said. Storm damage, including tornados, was reported to have damaged some agricultural operations, temporarily halting fieldwork. Winter wheat was reported to be green and in good condition as many farmers applied fertilizers to the crop.

In Illinois, topsoil moisture was 6 percent very short, 29 percent short, 63 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus, the USDA said. Subsoil moisture was 22 percent very short, 38 percent short, 39 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Winter wheat condition was 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 59 percent good and 8 percent excellent.

In Michigan, in mid-March, the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula experienced a major snowstorm, making field work nearly impossible, the USDA said. Most crops in the mid-Lower Peninsula were still dormant, while wheat in the Southern Peninsula began coming out of dormancy, and top dressing of fertilizer began. Maple syrup production continued in the state, and light fieldwork in the Southern Peninsula began where the ground was unfrozen.

In Ohio, rainstorms throughout the month of March have slowed fieldwork, with some areas experiencing flooding and barn damage due to high winds, the USDA said. Overwinter crops were greening up, and top dressing of fertilizer continued between rain events.

In Kentucky, with the exception of a few late freezes, March was relatively mild and dry, the USDA said. The freezes have impacted some fruit trees and winter wheat. The predominantly mild weather has promoted pasture growth, and eased the strain on hay stock, which remains mostly adequate. Farmers are in the process of field preparation for the planting season.

In Tennessee, higher-than normal temperatures created optimal conditions for early planting of crops in parts of the state, the USDA said. Wheat crops were hurt in some counties due to Winter Storm Fern, but most winter wheat is in fair to good condition. Farmers continue to keep up with field preparations for the 2026 crops, including spraying fields, applying fertilizer, and a few have started planting crops already.

In Iowa, a mid-month blizzard affected much of the state, and high winds were an issue periodically throughout the month, with areas still reporting dry conditions. Spring tillage was beginning where conditions allowed, with scattered reports of small grains being planted.

Glisan said the recently released USDA Planting Intentions Report suggested there will be more corn planted acres than soybeans in 2026, “though I don’t think weather will impact these numbers. What I will say is that a wet start to April and warmer temperatures, including a warming trend in 4-inch soil temperatures, may offer an early window for planters to start rolling.”

He said short-term outlooks into the second half of April have shown better chances of unseasonably warm temperatures from the Midwest to the Appalachians: “The three-to-four-week outlook valid through the last week of April shows a lean toward warmer temperatures through the Eastern Corn Belt, and parts of Appalachia. There is no clear signal on the precipitation side.”