USDA Crop Progress Report - 7% of Corn, 4% of Soybeans Left to Harvest

OMAHA (DTN) -- The U.S. corn and soybean harvests inched ahead to within single digits of completion by the end of last week, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

CORN

-- Harvest progress: 93% of corn was harvested as of Sunday, Nov. 14, up 6 percentage points from 87% the previous week. This year's harvest progress is now 3 percentage points ahead of last year's 90% and 8 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 85%. "Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan are three states that have the most work remaining," noted DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman.

SOYBEANS

-- Harvest progress: 96% of the crop was harvested as of Sunday, up 2 percentage points from 94% the previous week. That is now 5 percentage points ahead of both last year's 91% and the five-year average of 91%. "Five states that are finished include Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska and Louisiana," Hultman said.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Planting progress: 96% of winter wheat was planted as of Sunday, 2 percentage points ahead of last year's 94% and 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 93%.

-- Crop development: 81% of winter wheat was emerged as of Sunday, equal to the five-year average. "Five states with significantly slower emergence than usual are Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio and South Dakota," Hultman said.

-- Crop condition: 32% of the crop was rated in good-to-excellent condition, up another 2 percentage points from 30% the previous week but 14 percentage points below last year's rating of 46% good to excellent. That is the lowest good-to-excellent rating for the crop in over 20 years for this time of year, Hultman noted.

WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

Though winter hasn't officially started, it will certainly feel like it has across much of the country the rest of this week, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

"This week is a cold one for almost the entire country," Baranick said. "Several reinforcing shots of cold Canadian air will flow southeast through the country this week. Each one is going to produce some precipitation. The heaviest event is one that occurs on Monday and Tuesday, as a system forming in Texas moves eastward through the Southeast. While rain is occurring for most areas, a band of light-to-moderate snow is falling for the southwestern Plains into parts of Missouri and Arkansas as well. A northern extension of that system is producing some light snow for the Midwest, too, with mostly light amounts.

"The rest of the week should see light snow showers for the northern half of the country, for the most part. But the cold air moving over the Great Lakes will produce lake-effect snows in the prone parts of these areas as well.

"Outside of the snow, arctic cold air will spread through the country and likely turn a lot of wheat dormant in the Plains and parts of the Midwest as well."