Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service's Final Crop Report
Tuesday, December 11th, 2018 -- 8:00 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -Each December, the Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service issues a final crop report highlighting the trends of the past growing season.This week, the agency noted that 2018 was a challenging one from the start, as a variety of severe weather events impacted crop progress and conditions. April opened with below-normal temperatures and frequent snow, including the record-breaking blizzard of April 12-15. The deep snow and cold soils delayed the start of the planting season significantly. Then, above-normal temperatures in May helped spring fieldwork catch up to the five-year average by the beginning of June. During May, frequent rains kept fields wet and planting progress slow in southern Wisconsin, but soils in the northern portions of the state became dry. Severe thunderstorms lashed the state in mid-June, missing some areas, bringing much-needed rain to others, and causing localized flood damage.
Warm weather in late June and early July pushed overall crop progress ahead of the five-year average. But ongoing spotty rains left parts of northern Wisconsin unfavorably dry during the critical period for crop pollination. From mid-August through September, a series of severe storms damaged crops in multiple areas of the state with extreme heavy rain, flooding, flash flooding, hail, wind and tornadoes. Emergencies were declared in 18 counties across southern and central Wisconsin during this period. The statewide precipitation total for April through September was 27.35 inches, compared to 25.93 inches the previous year and a normal of 22.43 inches.
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