Weather
Widespread frost, freeze across much of the Corn Belt
Freeze warnings have been issued for Saturday morning across a broad area covering the Midwest, as well as the middle Atlantic States, the central and southern Appalachians, and much of Kentucky and Tennessee. For some locations, Saturday’s low temperatures could be the lowest ever observed during May. In orchards and vineyards across the Great Lakes and Northeastern States, gusty winds accompanying the cold wave will reduce the effectiveness of typical freeze-protection measures. Freeze injury could extend to other crops, including heading winter wheat and emerged summer crops. However, many Midwestern summer crops, including corn and soybeans, have been slow to emerge during the month-long cool spell preceding this weekend’s freeze.
Although the cold conditions will peak during the weekend, frost could persist in parts of the Great Lakes and Northeastern States into the middle of next week.
Elsewhere, precipitation will largely end by Friday night across the South and East, although rain and snow showers will linger into Saturday in the Northeast. Parts of the northern Plains and upper Midwest will also experience some weekend snow showers. Heavy weekend rain (2 to 4 inches or more) should develop across southern Florida.
Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for below-normal temperatures from the northern and central Plains to the northern and middle Atlantic States, while warmer-than-normal weather will be limited to the Pacific Northwest and the Deep South.
Meanwhile, near- or above-normal precipitation should occur nationwide, except for drier-than-normal conditions in the Four Corners region.
