It’s hot now. In fact all weather forecasters predicted record temperatures today, as the recent spring heat wave continues.

Before temperatures rocketed into the 90s on Memorial Day weekend, the trend was much different. The Ohio Valley and much of the Midwest was soaked with a barrage of rains. If you remember, it was like living in Seattle for quite a while.

This extreme weather has affected everyone, but in the coming months, we will surely begin to see the true effects of this mixed bag of harsh spring weather.

The wet weather has resulted in very late planting for farmers across Ohio. In recent years, Ohio farmers have had an average of 88 percent of their season’s crops planted by the first week of June, including 99 percent of their corn crops and 77 percent of soybean crops.

Because of the relentlessly wet weather, Ohio farmers are way behind schedule. The recent dry spell has given farmers an opportunity to catch up. About 58 percent of corn crops in Ohio were in the ground this weekend, catching up from the week before, when only about 19 percent of corn crops had been planted.

As of Sunday, reports showed that only 26 percent of land devoted to soybeans had been planted in Ohio.

Agriculture has continued to be Ohio’s top industry, and 2011 already promises to be a tough year, simply because of this spring weather. Experts have estimated that the late planting could result in a loss to Ohio farmers to the tune of between $750 million to as much as $1 billion this year.

These losses will undoubtedly result in shorter supplies, higher demands and increasing costs. Everyone knows – and has already been seeing – that when the cost of corn goes up, the costs of many other food items and related goods go up as well.

This won’t help Ohio’s slumping economy, and it won’t bring relief to consumer’s wallets, either.

We hope this extreme spring weather doesn’t bring this looming economic storm for Ohio’s agricultural industry in the months to come.