Weather

A brief lull before unseasonably active weather resumes on the Plains, across most of the Corn Belt

Across the Corn Belt, Wednesday’s thunderstorms produced localized wind and hail damage, mainly from eastern Iowa into southern Ohio. Early Thursday, cool, mostly dry weather prevails, although most Midwestern summer crops retain adequate to abundant soil moisture in the wake of recent storminess. On June 14, roughly two-thirds of the U.S. corn (68%) and soybeans (66%) were rated in good to excellent condition.

On the Plains, extreme heat lingers in central and west-central Texas, where Thursday’s high temperatures should exceed 105°F. On Wednesday, when heat extended as far north as the central High Plains, readings reached 106°F in Pueblo, Colorado, a record for the date, and 109°F in Midland, Texas. Currently, cool, mostly dry weather covers the northern and central Plains; Thursday’s high temperatures will remain generally at or below 70°F in Montana and North Dakota.

In the South, heavy showers associated with the remnants of short-lived Tropical Storm Arthur are causing local flooding across the central Gulf Coast region. A separate batch of showers is grazing the northern tier of the region, from Kentucky to Virginia. Elsewhere, hot, humid weather is returning across the western Gulf Coast region in the wake of Arthur’s departure, while Thursday’s high temperatures will approach 100°F in portions of the middle Atlantic coastal plain.

In the West, slightly cooler air is spreading inland across California. The remainder of the region is experiencing mostly dry weather and above-normal temperatures, maintaining heavy irrigation demands.