Weather

A brief lull in the recent spell of active, early spring storminess across the Heartland

Across the Corn Belt, chilly conditions linger in the Ohio Valley and the lower Great Lakes region, while above-normal temperatures have returned farther west.  From Nebraska to Wisconsin, only a narrow stripe of snow remains on the ground in the wake of Wednesday’s late-season blizzard.

On the Plains, rangeland, pastures, and winter grains across roughly the southern half of the region have experienced a difficult month due to frequent episodes of high winds and blowing dust, along with ongoing dryness.  On the southern High Plains, blowing dust and high winds were especially harsh on March 14 and 18.  By March 16, topsoil moisture in Texas was rated 71% very short to short, while 71% of the state’s rangeland and pastures were rated very poor to poor. 

In the South, a high-pressure system currently centered near the central Gulf Coast is drifting eastward, allowing warmth to return across Texas.  However, frost and near-freezing temperatures were reported Friday morning as far south as central Louisiana and southern sections of Alabama and Mississippi.  Despite the cool spell, producers in the Deep South are taking advantage of the dry weather to plant crops and perform other fieldwork operations.  In Louisiana, for example, 27% of the intended corn acreage had been planted by March 16, along with 18% of the rice.

In the West, moist, onshore flow is leading to scattered rain and snow showers from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies.  Dry weather covers the remainder of the region, with warmth starting to build across the Desert Southwest.