Analog Years for Weather Forecasting and Correlating Corn Planting Dates with Yield in Iowa

As of May 12, 15 percent of Iowa’s corn was planted (USDA-NASS). This is a slower pace than what Iowan’s experienced even in the flood year, 1993, when 20 percent was planted at this time in May. The 8 percent planted before May 5 was subjected to dramatic soil temperature changes as well as up to a foot of snow in parts of Iowa. Many Integrated Crop Management News articles, blogs, Twitter posts, and other media document spring 2013 conditions and concerns