Corn Belt turns to ‘Snow Belt’

“What early spring?” asked Drovers CattleNetwork. As it turns out, famed forecaster Punxatawney Phil was wrong this year – very wrong.

During a month better known for grilling and shorts weather, a spring-time winter storm fueled by a powerful cold front is setting up to produce rare weather conditions across much of the western Corn Belt – snow.

The National Weather Service forecast up to two feet of snow in the Rockies with several inches of snow expected in a band that stretches from Texas to Wisconsin, according to NBC News.

Snow is only half of the equation. In parts of Texas, the front is expected to bring wild temperature swings. On Tuesday, the mercury in Amarillo reached a balmy 97 degrees. Less than 48 hours later, on Thursday morning, meteorologists anticipate a 67-degree drop.

“By tomorrow morning we have … Amarillo at 30 and probably snowing,” Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth said.

Just how rare is this May snowstorm? Wunderground.com looked at other notable May snowstorms:

• Amarillo recorded than 7 inches of snow on May 6, 1917, and on May 2, 2005 the city saw nearly 5 inches of snow.   
• Minneapolis, Minn., has seen just six snow days in May since 1975, the top being May 11, 1946 when 2.8 inches fell.
• Chicago has only had two one inch snow events in May since 1884.
• Omaha, Neb., has recorded four days with measurement snow in May since 1881.
• Des Moines, Iowa, had two separate snows in 1907 on May 4 and May 15. It also snowed on May 3, 1917.
• Kansas City, Mo., reported one measurement snow in May on May 3, 1907 when 1.7 inches fell on the city.

Click here for other May snow facts.

"It is very difficult to get a major snowstorm in the lower elevations of the U.S. in May," said Weather Channel meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. "Even on May 1 you're only seven weeks away from the summer solstice, and with that comes strong sun and long days adding heat to the atmosphere.

How is this affecting corn planting in Nebraska? Well, it’s halted right now for sure. The freeze and heavy moisture brings with it even more anxious farmers. Last Monday, Henderson, Nebraska farmer, Michael Bergen posted this picture on Facebook as he was excited to get into the field.

Henderson is a different sight today with snow and ice. Just done the road from Bergen, Curt Friesen tweeted this picture.