Weather

Beneficial moisture to expand across the Plains

Across the Corn Belt, showers are confined to the upper Great Lakes region. Elsewhere, very warm, dry weather is ideal for developmentally delayed corn and soybeans. On September 17, corn was at least 15 percentage points behind the 5-year state average maturation pace in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas.

On the Plains, late-season heat across most of the region continues to promote summer crop maturation and fieldwork, including harvest activities and winter wheat planting. However, cool air has engulfed the northern High Plains, accompanied by scattered showers.

In the South, warm, mostly dry weather continue to favor fieldwork and crop maturation.

In the West, Frost and Freeze warnings were in effect early Friday in several areas, including parts of the Great Basin. In addition, a mix of rain and snow is falling across portions of the northern Rockies and northern Intermountain West. Prior to recent storminess, Spokane, Washington, did not receive measurable rain for 80 consecutive days from June 29 to September 16 — which broke the 1917 record (75 days).

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