While we've seen record rains, the corn is 'burning up' in the U.S. Midwest

Several weeks ago in the Coeur d'Alene Press, I suggested that investors buy corn futures and 'call' options, because the parching drought in the Midwest would soon become the worst such event since at least 1988, maybe as far back as the infamous 'Dust Bowl Days' of the 1930s.

Well, those of us who bought the corn under $6 a bushel made as much as $10,000 a contract when corn soared this week to $8 a bushel in Chicago. (But, don't call me to buy corn or any other commodity. I'm a commodity advisor, not a broker.)

A new report issued early this past week by the National Climatic Data Center said that "55 percent of the continental U.S., the so-called 'Lower 48,' is currently suffering through moderate to severe drought conditions."

That's the greatest area affected by extreme dryness in this nation since December of 1956, when 58 percent of the country was gripped by choking drought.

But, we soon may see 60 percent or more of the U.S. classified as drought-parched, which would be second only to the 67 percent figure of 1936 at the peak of the 'Great Depression' when Oklahoma dust coated Washington, D.C.

I should add that the weekly crop progress ratings issued this past Monday afternoon by the U.S.D.A., showed the 2012 corn crop being rated "38 percent poor-to-very poor" and the soybeans rated "30 percent poor-to-very-poor," both records for crop losses to date in a single season, even worse than either 1936 or 1988!

It is the opinion of this climatologist that several days of temperatures near or above 110 degrees in the nation's heartland in late June and early July destroyed corn pollination in many areas. Corn cobs are missing many rows of kernels that will never develop. On June 30, for example, Hill City, Kan., hit 116 degrees, its high reading ever.

On July 2, Indianapolis soared to an all-time high of 105 degrees. It was 108 degrees southeast of Des Moines, Iowa, on the same blistering afternoon.

While corn prices have 'skyrocketed' in recent days, feeder cattle have plummeted nearly 30 cents-a-pound. Ranchers lack critical feed supplies, especially corn, and are being forced to sell their livestock at reduced weights and prices, a bankrupting scenario for many of our clients who are likewise facing rapidly-dwindling supplies of water for their animals and themselves.

Ironically, while much of the country east of the Rockies has been burning up, we residents of the Inland Northwest have been soaked by record rains, especially in North Idaho. (Spokane has missed most of the heavy thunderstorms.)

As of this Thursday noon writing on July 19, the beginning of the 'new moon' phase, we had gauged an incredible 28.83 inches of rain since Jan. 1 on Player Drive. Our normal for an entire year's precipitation here since 1895 is 26.77 inches. The all-time record annual precipitation for Coeur d'Alene was 38.77 inches in 1996, which also experienced some washed-out roads, especially in the lowland areas, and flooded basements.

Our July 2012 rainfall, as of noon on Thursday, stood at 2.35 inches, well above the normal for an entire July of .92 inches, normally our driest month of the year. An amazing 1.07 inches of rain swamped Coeur d'Alene on Sunday, July 15. Earlier that morning, a record .44 inches fell in just 17 minutes! The previous record for the date was just .48 inches in 1975.

To answer a Press subscriber's question, I do believe that sometime between now and Dec. 31, we will break the all-time annual precipitation record of 38.77 inches in Coeur d'Alene, this despite a somewhat drier 'El Nino' sea-surface temperature event expected to slowly build in the next six months in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Next week in 'Gems,' we'll feature the current WIDE GLOBAL WEATHER 'EXTREMES' that are causing severe problems this blistering summer of 2012. Just this week, Greece was forced to declare "a state of emergency" near the western city port of Patras due to the out-of-control wildfires that forced more than 220,000 people out of their homes. The drought in the region is the worst in 50 years and stretches north and east to the Black Sea in Russia.

NORTH IDAHO WEATHER REVIEW AND LONG-RANGE OUTLOOKS

Sunny weather returned for much of this past week following the strong thunderstorms of the previous weekend that dumped record rains on much of North Idaho, including Coeur d'Alene.

After another brief period of potentially strong thunderstorms, it looks like warm, sunny weather under high pressure this upcoming week. It's quite possible, however, that, at times, there will be isolated thunderstorms lingering into early August in the region.

By Aug. 3-10, during the 'full moon' cycle, we could see another heatwave like we saw during the same lunar phase in early July that lasted a full week.

Precipitation amounts during August, September and early October should be less than usual across the Inland Northwest. There will be lots of warm to hot 'Sholeh Days' during the six-week span from early August through mid September.

If we do see a new warmer and drier 'El Nino' event as expected in the waters of the Pacific Ocean by this fall, the upcoming winter of 2012-13 should see milder than normal temperatures and less snowfall than usual across North Idaho. Stay tuned for further updates.

Cliff Harris is a climatologist who writes a weekly column for The Press. His opinions are his own. Email sfharris@roadrunner.com