(NAFB) – The Corn Belt has seen warmer-than-normal temperatures in most of March.

A Successful Farming article says the big questions are will soils be warm enough for on-time planting, and will there be enough soil moisture? Weather Trends 360 says mostly warmer trends through the end of March will likely help soils warm-up well through early spring. However, the occasional cold front shouldn’t be ruled out yet, with the biggest risk of short-term, below-normal temps in the Northern Plains and western Corn Belt.

The bigger concern in this area is a shortage of rainfall that might continue. Weather Trends 360 says areas of below-normal rainfall are expected in parts of the Northern Plains and the western Corn Belt. The one good thing about the drier weather is the reduced risk of flooding in most of the Midwest.

Recent heavy rains caused some flooding in the lower Missouri and Ohio River Valleys, but the overall threat for widespread flooding is very low.