Weather

Beneficial rains cross the western, southwestern Corn Belt & parts of the Plains

Across the Corn Belt, most areas are experiencing cool, dry weather, with Tuesday’s high temperatures expected to remain near or below 80°F.  However, locally heavy rain is falling across the southwestern Corn Belt, especially in Missouri.  Recent and ongoing showers in the western Corn Belt have benefited immature summer crops; on August 14, for example, at least one-fifth of the soybeans in Missouri (22%) and Nebraska (20%) were rated in very poor to poor condition.

On the Plains, meaningful rain is confined to western Texas and central portions of the region, including Kansas and eastern Colorado.  Meanwhile, hot weather continues across the southeastern Plains, where Tuesday’s high temperatures will again top 100°F, as well as the northern High Plains.  Heat across the northern High Plains favors small grain maturation and harvesting.  Two days ago, on August 14, topsoil moisture was rated at least three-quarters very short to short in Oklahoma (85%), Kansas (82%), Nebraska (78%), Montana (78%), and Texas (77%). 

In the South, a few showers linger along and near the Atlantic Coast.  A separate area of rain is just starting to overspread the mid-South.  Meanwhile, hot, humid weather persists in the Arklatex region (and neighboring areas), where Tuesday’s high temperatures will broadly reach or exceed 100°F.

In the West, building heat across California, the Great Basin, and the Northwest favors small grain maturation and harvesting but is also increasing stress on immature summer crops and boosting irrigation demands.  In addition, rangeland and pastures were rated at least one-third in very poor to poor on August 14 in all Western States except Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.  Elsewhere, an active monsoon circulation is contributing to scattered Southwestern showers.