Weather

Windy, warmer weather expands on the Plains; fair & cool across the eastern Corn Belt

Across the Corn Belt, chilly conditions linger east of the Mississippi River, while warmth is returning farther west.  Frost was reported early Wednesday as far south as Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.  Later Wednesday, Midwestern high temperatures should range from near 50°F in the vicinity of the Great Lakes to 80°F or higher in the middle Missouri Valley.  By April 13, oat seeding was nearing the halfway mark in Iowa (47% planted) and Nebraska (45%).

On the Plains, warm, dry weather is further reducing soil moisture for pastures, rangeland, winter grains, and spring-sown crops.  Later Wednesday, high temperatures should range from 80 to 90°F throughout the central and southern Plains.  On April 13 in Texas, 60% of the oats and 51% of the rangeland and pastures were rated in very poor to poor condition.  On the same date, topsoil moisture was rated 72% very short to short in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming, along with 57% in Montana, 54% in Kansas, and 53% in Texas.

In the South, dry weather and near- or below-normal temperatures generally favor spring fieldwork.  However, lowland flooding continues to impede planting progress in parts of the mid-South.  In Arkansas, the White River at Clarendon appears to have crested late Tuesday, 6.08 feet above flood stage—the highest level in that location since May 2017.

In the West, warm, mostly dry weather prevails, despite an increase in cloudiness.  A significantly elevated wildfire threat exists from eastern Arizona into New Mexico, due to dry, breezy conditions and low humidity levels.