Weather

Fine, fair weather across the Heartland; summer-like on the northern Plains

Across the Corn Belt, frost and freezes were observed early Friday in portions of the Great Lakes region, including much of Michigan and Wisconsin.  Given the accelerated development of some Great Lakes region fruit crops, producers will need to monitor for signs of freeze injury.  Elsewhere in the Midwest, dry weather is promoting a rapid pace of corn and soybean planting, especially in drier areas of the western Corn Belt.  

On the Plains, unusual warmth across the northern half of the region continues to promote planting activities, as well as rapid development of winter wheat and emergence of spring-sown crops.  Friday’s high temperatures will approach or reach 85°F as far north as South Dakota.  Meanwhile, flood-related concerns are subsiding across the southern Plains, although pockets of excessive wetness persist from north-central Texas into northeastern Oklahoma.

In the South, showers are primarily affecting the central Gulf Coast region and the middle Atlantic States.  Fieldwork delays are widespread in southern Louisiana and environs, where pockets of lowland flooding are already occurring due to heavy rain on May 6-7.  Elsewhere in the South, conditions are generally favorable for planting activities and crop growth.  

In the West, warm, dry weather favors fieldwork and crop development.  However, elevated temperatures are also causing significant melting of high-elevation snowpack, leading to rising river levels and swift-running streams.  Friday’s high temperatures will top 100°F in the Desert Southwest and should approach 90°F as far north as southern Idaho.