Weather

Rains for parts of the upper Midwest, much of the Southwest and Southern U.S.

Across the Corn Belt, near- or below-normal temperatures continue to benefit filling corn and soybeans.  Although dry weather prevails across much of the Corn Belt, showers and a few thunderstorms are spreading across the upper Midwest.  Any rain is beneficial for immature summer crops, including soybeans and late-planted corn.  By August 14, only 16% of the U.S. corn crop had begun to dent, behind the 5-year average of 20%.

On the Plains, mild, mostly dry weather favors summer crop maturation.  Friday’s high temperatures should range from near 75°F in parts of the eastern Dakotas to 90°F or higher on the southern Plains.  Early Friday, rain showers are occurring in a few areas, including the eastern Dakotas and south-central Texas.  A difficult growing season is winding down across the central and southern Plains, where drought and high temperatures have adversely affected pastures and rangeland and numerous summer crops, including cotton, corn, sorghum, and soybeans.

In the South, scattered showers generally stretch from the Carolinas to the western Gulf Coast region.  Hot, humid weather continues to retreat and covers only the Deep South, from southern Texas to peninsular Florida.  Elsewhere, dry weather across the northern Mississippi Delta favors fieldwork, including early-season rice harvesting.

In the West, more than two dozen large wildfires are actively burning across the northern half of the region.  Hot weather continues throughout California and the Northwest, with high temperatures expected to reach 100°F as far north as southeastern Washington.  Elsewhere, a rich flow of monsoon-related moisture is producing locally heavy showers in the Southwest, with flash flooding possible in Arizona and New Mexico.