Weather

A mid-winter, “look & feel” dominates virtually all of the Heartland; still quite cold for some

Across the Corn Belt, extreme cold prevails across northern portions of the Ohio Valley, coincident with a moderate to deep snowpack from Iowa and northern Missouri eastward.  Conversely, rain and snow showers are developing ahead of a warm front and a fast-moving disturbance in the eastern Dakotas.

On the Plains, somewhat milder temperatures have replaced recent bitter cold, though widespread snow cover remains on top of the northern Plains’ winter wheat crop.  In contrast, the central Plains’ winter wheat remains devoid of snow and subsequently exposed to potential incursions of bitter cold.  However, much of the northern Plains’ winter wheat crop has a protective snow cover, following recent storminess.

In the South, widespread, mostly light showers are associated with a stationary front from the Gulf Coast States into the Carolinas, while a weak wave of low pressure is bringing the first snow of the season to middle Atlantic States.  Drought remains firmly entrenched across much of the region, although some rain is finally affecting Extreme to Exceptional (D3D4) drought areas.

In the West, rain and mountain snow showers ahead of a warm front are spreading southeastward from the Pacific Northwest into the central Rockies.  Otherwise, dry weather prevails in California, the Great Basin, and the Four Corners States.  While recent precipitation has been beneficial, drought remains prevalent across the Rockies and Northwest.