Weather

Windy, with late-season warmth for many; cooler, as showers develop on the Plains

Across the Corn Belt, a final day of stunning warmth is allowing Midwestern producers to near harvest completion.  Only 11% of U.S. soybeans remained in the field by October 27, compared to the 5-year average of 22%.  Wednesday’s high temperatures will reach 80°F or higher in much of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.  Meanwhile, cooler air and a few showers are arriving across the Dakotas and much of Minnesota, where maximum temperatures will remain below 50°F.

On the Plains, a cold front separates lingering warmth in Texas, Oklahoma, and the southeastern half of Kansas from chilly conditions farther north and west.  A few showers are developing along the front, mainly across Kansas and portions of neighboring states.  Any moisture is beneficial for drought-stressed rangeland, pastures, and winter wheat, but many areas remain critically dry, with October 27 topsoil moisture rated very short to short by USDA/NASS ranging from 61% in North Dakota to 92% in Texas.

In the South, very warm, dry weather continues to promote a variety of outdoor activities, including summer crop harvesting and winter wheat planting.  Open weather also favors farm maintenance and—in Southeastern areas recently affected by hurricanes or flooding—repair and recovery efforts.

In the West, chilly weather prevails between storm systems.  The initial storm is departing the West, although snow showers linger in the central Rockies and environs.  A new system is approaching the Pacific Northwest, with a corresponding increase in wind and coastal precipitation.

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