Weather
Heat & humidity build into the Midwestern Corn Belt
Across the Corn Belt, cool conditions linger across the upper Midwest. In contrast, heat and humidity levels are building across the southern Corn Belt. On July 16, Midwestern topsoil moisture remained highly variable, ranging from 60% surplus in Ohio to 85% very short to short in South Dakota.
On the Plains, widely scattered showers in Montana and the Dakotas are providing very limited relief from punishing drought. On July 16, South Dakota led the nation among major production states in very poor to poor ratings for spring wheat (74%), sorghum (45%), corn (38%), and soybeans (33%), while North Dakota led for rangeland and pastures (74%), oats (54%), and barley (28%). Wednesday’s high temperatures are expected to reach or exceed 100° in many locations from Texas to South Dakota, maintaining stress on rain-fed crops.
In the South, hot, humid weather continues to promote a rapid crop development pace. Scattered showers and thunderstorms persist along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts.
In the West, monsoon-related showers stretch northeastward from the Desert Southwest, maintaining the threat of flash flooding. In contrast, parts of California and the Northwest faced an elevated risk of new wildfires, in addition to those already burning.
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