by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
ISWS PRI University of Illinois
Average temperatures in this first full week of May were actually a little cool, ranging from the high 40s in northern Illinois to the mid-50s in southern Illinois, between 3 and 8 degrees below normal. This followed an April that was a top five warmest on record statewide and felt like a bit of a bait and switch after a taste of summer-like weather last month.…
The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending May 1, 2026.
Global Tensions, Speculative Buying, and Weather Concerns Drive Ag Markets
The agricultural commodity markets were heavily influenced by geopolitical tensions, speculative fund buying, and domestic weather concerns. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its impact on energy prices and fertilizer availability provided underlying support for feed grains. Crude oil prices climbing over $100 a barrel made ethanol more attractive,…
by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
ISWS PRI University of Illinois
Well, the last week of April was much like the month as a whole. Average temperature ranged from the mid-50s in northern Illinois to high 60s in southern Illinois, between 5 and 10 degrees above average. The month as a whole ended between 4 and 8 degrees above average, likely making April a top 5 warmest on record statewide. With that said, clear skies on a few nights allowed early morning temperatures to regularly dip into the 30s this week,…
The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending April 24, 2026.
Geopolitical Tensions and High Input Costs Dictate Choppy Grain Markets
The agricultural commodity markets experienced sideways, choppy trading heavily dictated by Middle East geopolitical tensions. Market analysts Mike Zuzolo, Matt Bennett, Curt Kimmel, Naomi Blohm, and Greg Johnson noted that fluctuating war premiums drove crude oil prices higher, which subsequently pulled biofuels and soybean oil to new highs while providing underlying support to the broader grain complex.…
by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
ISWS PRI University of Illinois
Another very spring-like week across the state, with average temperatures ranging from the mid-50s in northern Illinois to the low 60s in southern Illinois, between 2 and 5 degrees above average. April to date has been 5 to 8 degrees warmer than average, and a top 10 warmest April on record statewide. Despite the warmth, nighttime temperatures did dip below freezing in northern and central Illinois a couple of times this week,…
WILLAg.org Radio Programming for the work week ending April 17, 2026
Geopolitical Shocks and the Nitrogen Price Squeeze
Agricultural markets this week experienced significant volatility driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, high input costs, and shifting weather patterns. A primary concern discussed throughout the week is the likelihood of farmers shifting acres from corn to soybeans due to the high costs and uncertain availability of nitrogen fertilizers. Early in the week,…
by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
ISWS PRI University of Illinois
Our warm spring continued this week, as average temperatures ranged from the high 50s in northern Illinois to the mid-60s in southern Illinois, 10 to 15 degrees above normal. The first half of April has been extremely warm, in fact the second warmest start to April on record in Peoria, Springfield, and St. Louis. Our recent warmth has continued a longer trend from March, making this year the warmest start to spring since 2012 statewide.…
WILLAg.org Radio Programming for the work week ending April 10, 2026
Commodity Markets and Geopolitical Influences
The week in commodity markets was heavily influenced by geopolitical events and energy prices, particularly the ongoing conflict with Iran. Earlier in the week, traders squared positions and moved to the sidelines ahead of a deadline with Iran, while keeping a close watch on crude oil resistance levels. Later, a temporary truce caused crude oil prices to plunge,…
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed an innovative artificial intelligence method designed to mine massive amounts of drone-captured field data, revealing hidden, highly heritable genetic traits in crops.
For decades, agriculture has relied on visual cues and simple calculations to gauge plant health. The widely used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), for example, uses just two bands of light reflectance to mathematically determine the greenness of a field. Now, an interdisciplinary team is pushing beyond these traditional boundaries.…
We had a warm and wet end to March and start to April across the prairie state. Average temperatures this week ranged from the high 40s in northern Illinois to the high 50s in southern Illinois, between 4 and 10 degrees above normal.
by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
ISWS PRI University of Illinois
Some of the more impressive high temperatures this week included 93 degrees in Jacksonville and 88 in Champaign. March ended around 6 degrees warmer than normal statewide,…