Weather played a major role in the outcome of this study in 2018. Heavy rains in the early fall from Hurricane Florence hurt yields of early planted and/or early maturing soybeans, particularly in Robeson, Pitt, and Northampton counties. Less than ideal growing conditions in April were not conducive to producing the high yields that were seen with early maturing varieties in the Tidewater region in 2017. Abnormally high rainfall in June hurt stands of late planted beans in Beaufort, causing some bean plots to be abandoned. This two-year study suggests that over all locations and environments the ideal combination is a Late IV or Early V planted from Mid-April to Mid-May. While most seasons have a “sweet spot” with the most potential for outstanding yields, finding it can be a difficult proposition unless you spread your risk as a producer. For instance, averaged across all locations, the cost of making the wrong decision in variety and planting date could have been as much as 35 bu/A. Of course there is no way to predict the weather, but this research shows how critical it is to manage risk by paying attention to weather forecasts at planting time, multi-year/multi-location variety trial data when selecting varieties, and planting multiple varieties of varying maturities in order to avoid significant weather events.