Weather
Near-seasonal weather covers the Plains; mid-winter cold across the Midwest Corn Belt
Across the Corn Belt, cold weather persists, especially in the Great Lakes States. Early Friday, sub-0°F temperatures were widespread across the upper Mississippi Valley and the upper Great Lakes region. Despite the cold conditions, snow coverage is mostly limited to parts of the eastern Corn Belt and the northern tier of the region, from North Dakota to Michigan.
On the Plains, a disturbance crossing Montana and the Dakotas is producing some light snow, along with gusty winds. Elsewhere, cool, dry weather prevails, although Friday afternoon’s high temperatures should rebound to 50°F or higher as far north as Kansas. Throughout the Plains, winter wheat largely lacks a protective snow cover.
In the South, chilly conditions linger in the wake of an historic Gulf Coast snowstorm. Florida’s state record 24-hour snowfall, which had been 4.0 inches in Milton on March 6, 1954, was more than doubled in Pensacola (8.9 inches on January 21) and several other panhandle locations. Early Friday, the northern edge of Florida’s citrus belt experienced scattered frost, but the state’s key winter agricultural production areas remained above 32°F. Farther west, however, producers are monitoring citrus, sugarcane, winter grains, nursery crops, and ornamentals for signs of freeze injury.
In the West, several new wildfires have flared across southern California, including the 800-acre Border 2 Fire in San Diego County. However, Friday should be the last day with an elevated wildfire threat. Currently, dry weather dominates the West, although mild weather in California and the Great Basin contrasts with chilly conditions in other areas.
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