In the primary winter wheat areas of central Ukraine, developing spring drought was abated by late-week showers (10-35 mm).
The rain improved early-season prospects for vegetative winter wheat, though southern and eastern portions of Ukraine were bypassed by the heaviest rain (amounts mostly less than 5 mm).
Farther west, widespread showers (5-30 mm, locally more) sustained adequate to abundant moisture supplies for spring grain and summer crop planting in Moldova, western Ukraine, and Belarus.
In southern Russia, sunny skies during the first half of the period favored the development of vegetative winter wheat, while late-week showers (2-20 mm) kept soils moist for corn and sunflower planting (sown in late April and early May, respectively).
Despite the generally mild spring to date, snow has been slow to melt in the Volga District, with more than 25 cm still on the ground in central and eastern portions of the region.