Beneficial rain in southern and central growing areas
contrasted with developing dryness in northern Ukraine.A slow-moving storm system produced 10 to 50 mm of rain from southeastern Ukraine into southern and central Russia, maintaining abundant moisture supplies for jointing winter wheat.
A second area of moderate to heavy rain (10-40 mm) boosted moisture supplies for vegetative spring grains in Belarus and northwestern Russia.
Despite the active weather pattern, rain bypassed areas from Moldova into central Ukraine and Russia’s Central District.
The dryness was welcomed in Moldova and Russia, where precipitation over the past 60 days has totaled 100 to 200 percent of normal.
However, the lack of rain in north-central Ukraine exacerbated developing short term drought (25-50 percent of normal rainfall over the past 60 days), leaving soil moisture in short supply for corn and sunflower planting and emergence.