Weather

Drier weather returns to parts of the Corn Belt

Across the Corn Belt, mostly dry weather has returned to western corn and soybean production areas, but major flooding continues along several Missouri River tributaries in western Iowa and environs. Currently, rain has shifted into the eastern Corn Belt, where pockets of excessive wetness also exist. On June 24, topsoil moisture was rated 45% surplus in Ohio.

On the Plains, heat is intensifying from Nebraska southward. Most locations have received significant rain in recent days, but critically dry conditions persist on the drought-affected southern High Plains. In Texas, at least one-quarter of the corn (25%), cotton (30%), and sorghum (30%) was rated very poor to poor on June 24.

In the South, dry weather prevails in the western Gulf Coast region, but showers are occurring in many other areas. A variety of growing conditions exist across the region, ranging from very dry in parts of the mid-South to excessively wet in portions of the southern Mid-Atlantic States.

In the West, hot, dry weather prevails, except in the Pacific Northwest and along the immediate Pacific Coast. Southwestern rangeland and pastures remain severely stressed by drought and on June 24 were rated mostly very poor to poor in Arizona (90%) and New Mexico (68%). The threat of new wildfires has shifted from northern California and the Pacific Northwest to the Great Basin and parts of the Intermountain West.

Weather Alerts