Weather

Diminishing soil moisture reserves across the Midwest

On the Plains, scattered showers and thunderstorms are benefiting pastures, summer crops, and immature winter wheat, although some areas remain very dry. Across the southern half of the region, the rain is causing minor winter wheat harvest disruptions.

Across the Corn Belt, showers are confined to western-most portions of the region, including parts of Minnesota and eastern North Dakota. Elsewhere in the Midwest, mild, dry weather is maintaining concerns about diminishing topsoil moisture reserves.

In the South, showers are confined to the southern Atlantic region, where soil moisture for pastures and summer crops has improved in recent weeks. However, extremely dry conditions persist in several parts of the region, particularly in the Mid-South.

In the West, precipitation is returning to the northern Pacific Coast. Elsewhere, dry weather favors fieldwork, but cool conditions are slowing crop growth.