Weather

Late-season heat on parts of the Plains, western states; largely dry weather across the Corn Belt

Across the Corn Belt, warm, dry weather is ideal for corn and soybean maturation.  Throughout the Midwest, Wednesday’s high temperatures will range from 80 to 90°F.  The corn harvest has begun in parts of the southern Corn Belt, led by Missouri (13% harvested on September 8, versus the 5-year average of 4%).

On the Plains, an increase in cloudiness across Montana is signaling an impending pattern change.  Elsewhere, warm, dry weather is promoting summer crop maturation and harvesting, as well as winter wheat planting.  By September 8, the sorghum harvest was 10% complete in Oklahoma, and was just getting underway (2% complete) in Kansas.  

In the South, squalls and gusty winds are overspreading the central Gulf Coast region, with Hurricane Francine centered less than 200 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, at 7 a.m. CDT, Wednesday.  The hurricane, with sustained winds near 90 mph, is moving northeastward at 12 mph, and appears to be heading directly toward Louisiana’s sugarcane area.

In the West, showers associated with a cold front are arriving in the Pacific Northwest.  In advance of the front, windy, dry weather is leading to a significantly elevated wildfire threat in the Great Basin and Intermountain West; conditions also favor the fanning of any existing blazes.  Elsewhere, a late-season heat wave is ending in the Pacific Coast States, but unusual warmth continues farther inland.