Corn Earworm
A rather active weather pattern is expected across the corn-growing region in the next week. The result for corn earworm migration forecasting purposes is nightly migration risks through the period as at least some portion of the region will be under southerly flow that may lead to at least isolated migration events. Low risks are predicted tonight mainly along/east of I-55 and into southeast Missouri as a cold front moves to the southeast through the northern Great Lakes and into the Mississippi River valley. Precipitation is expected along and ahead of this front, and may lead to some isolated moth flights. Low risks focus across Kansas and Missouri as well as far southern Nebraska tomorrow night into Sunday as the front stalls out and becomes more west to east in fashion, with any southerly winds south of the boundary. By late in the weekend and early next week, a somewhat slow-moving low pressure system developing in the far western Plains states will result in stout southerly winds especially across the Plains and into portions of the western corn-growing region, especially west of the Mississippi River. Low migration risks are predicted west of Lake Michigan from Sunday night through Tuesday night. Source regions in the mid-south are at a more attractive stage to corn earworms right now, and a lack of more widespread crops at a critical growth stage further north precludes a higher risk at this point despite a favorable weather pattern.