Weather
Soil moisture levels vary across the Corn Belt
Across the Corn Belt, warmth has spread into the Mississippi Valley, but chilly weather lingers across portions of the Great Lakes region. Dry soils in the upper Midwest contrast with wet conditions in the lower Midwest.
On the Plains, cooler air is arriving across Montana, but record-setting warmth persists farther south. Across the heart of the Plains’ winter wheat belt, warm, dry weather is promoting fieldwork but increasing stress on rangeland, pastures, and winter wheat. In Nebraska, the portion of the winter wheat crop rated in good to excellent condition stood at 34% on March 29, down from 69% in late-November 2014.
In the South, widely scattered showers and thunderstorms stretch from Texas to South Carolina. Many producers have been able to resume fieldwork in recent days, although corn planting and other farming activities remain mostly behind schedule. By March 29, corn planting was 20% complete in Texas, along with 16% in Louisiana, 4% in Mississippi, and 2% in Arkansas. Respective 5-year averages are 43, 81, 39, and 28%
In the West, scattered rain and snow showers accompany cool conditions from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies. Cooler air is also overspreading California, but warmth lingers in the Four Corners States.
Forecast High Temperatures (National)
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