Corn Earworm
A return to southwesterly flow is already underway across the Plains states as high pressure begins to shift back into the southeastern United States and low pressure develops east of the Rocky Mountains. South to southwest winds will continue to expand east across the Plains and western Midwest today, and these winds may result in a Low corn earworm migration risk tonight into tomorrow morning especially across Kansas and Nebraska. A much larger risk area is then predicted late in the week and into next weekend as high pressure shifts into the southeast United States and low pressure advances into the western and northern Plains. A cold front is expected to move across the Plains and upper Midwest while south to southwest winds continue to its south. Precipitation is likely to occur along and east of the front with nighttime shower and thunderstorm clusters likely. Corn earworms tend to drop out near these precipitation areas, so a rather broad Low risk is being predicted from the Plains east into the Great Lakes and Midwest by this weekend and also as far north as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan as well. Crops across much of the corn-growing region are not at critical stages to damage as of yet and we are largely in between generations so only Low risks are being issued at this time. There are some areas where silking corn is now present, especially in Kansas and Missouri, so increased risks may come later this week especially in these fields but potentially further north and east as well once confidence in placement of critical weather features and associated storm clusters becomes more apparent.