Weather

Blazing heat on the southern Plains

On the Plains, blazing heat continues to wither pastures and immature summer crops across the southern half of the region.

Across the Corn Belt, pastures, corn, and soybeans continue to suffer from the effects of a devastating drought, despite a recent turn toward cooler weather. However, heat is starting to build back across southern and western portions of the Corn Belt. Across the northern Corn Belt, mainly from the Dakotas to Michigan and Ohio, some fields have received enough rain in recent days to stabilize crop conditions.

In the South, hot weather is promoting a rapid pace of crop development. However, in areas where soil moisture shortages exist and heat has been persistent and excessive—including the Mid-South (e.g. Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel)—pastures and rain-fed summer crops continue to suffer.

In the West, showers associated with the monsoon circulation stretch from Arizona to the central Rockies. Meanwhile, cool conditions persist along the Pacific Coast. Elsewhere, warm, dry weather favors crop development and fieldwork, including Northwestern small grain harvesting.