Minnesota Corn Harvest 97 Percent Complete

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Unseasonably warm temperatures and dry conditions early last week have allowed Minnesota's corn farmers to nearly complete the fall harvest.

In its final weekly crop-weather report of the season for Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday the state's corn harvest is 97 percent complete.

That compares with 40 percent last year and a five-year average of 82 percent. And it's an advance of 3 percentage points from a week earlier.

The report says some of the remaining unharvested or partially harvested fields have been too wet to support machinery.

Statewide, 4.8 days were rated suitable for fieldwork last week. Thirteen consecutive dry days ended as rain moved in late Wednesday ahead of this weekend's snowstorm.

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