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The majority of the world's popcorn supply is grown and produced in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Texas, and some of these areas have received more than twice their normal rainfall since June 1. Image courtesy of Photos.com.

Most of the world's popcorn is grown in the U.S. corn belt, and excess rainfall in northeastern Iowa and other corn areas of the Midwest could impact the crop.

The majority of the world's popcorn supply is grown and produced in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Texas, and some of these areas have received more than twice their normal rainfall since June 1.

A number of locations in Iowa, including Newton, Des Moines, Dubuque and Ames, have already received between 20 and 24 inches of rain this summer.

Rainfall of one-and-a-half to twice that of normal, or 16 to 20 inches, has also extended into Kirksville, Mo., Wausau, Wis., Norfolk, Neb., Shelbyville, Ind. and Chicago, Ill. since early June.

This could mean a troublesome popcorn harvest, considering the average crop only requires 18-24 inches of water during the average growing season.

Dan Morrell, owner of LeClaire Kettle Corn Co. in LeClaire, Iowa, said if the rain continues, the popcorn plants could become flooded in the fields and "rot into the ground."

The danger with excess rain is not only the threat of disease, but a wetter-than-normal crop yields wet kernels that must undergo an expensive drying process.

"We've had an awful lot of rain in eastern Iowa," said Morrell. "But I'm confident the crop will straighten out."

In both short-term and long-range forecasts, AccuWeather.com meteorologists predict thunderstorms and heavy rainfall to continue for the corn belt as summer shifts into autumn.

Dale Mohler, AccuWeather.com Agricultural Meteorologist, said after this week the weather will become drier and cooler, with temperatures becoming more normal.

Mohler expects more scattered rainfall to begin again later in August, with a warm fall on the way.

"Risk of early frost will be less than normal this fall in the Midwest," said Mohler.

Mohler suggested warmer temperatures could help the Midwest harvest come two or three weeks sooner than normal.

After harvest occurs in late September, popcorn is transported to storage bins with a perforated bottom that forces air through the floor to dry the corn to a 14 percent moisture level, which is ideal for popping.

"The wetter the season, the more time we need to spend drying," said Jon Tiefenthaler of Snappy Popcorn in Breda, Iowa.

Tiefenthaler said that although more drying time means a greater expense for producers, the price increases usually aren't translated into a higher cost or shortages for consumers.

Morrell said the lag time for the popcorn we buy in grocery stores is always around one year.

In other words, this year's crop will be bought by consumers next year. After harvest and production, the kernels are preserved in dry storage.

Popcorn is grown as a type of field corn with shorter stalks, and many Midwest farmers grow popcorn on the outer edges of croplands dedicated to field corn.

The primary difference between field corn and popping corn is in the harvest procedure, which must be done more carefully to avoid damaging the precious kernel.

The moisture content of popcorn is aided by adequate rainfall and must be around 16 to 20 percent when harvested. This moisture allows the popcorn kernel to pop when heated.

In the meantime, both Morrell and Tiefenthaler are keeping their fingers crossed for the rain to tapper off before the late September harvest.

With content contributed by Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist.

Related to the Story:

LeClaire Kettle Corn Co.

Snappy Popcorn

Rain Still Falling on Iowa Corn, Dry Autumn Needed

North Central Radar

North Central Satellite

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Story by Carly Porter, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer.