Weather
A pre-Thanksgiving storm across the Heartland
Across the Corn Belt, a pre-Thanksgiving storm is underway, with wet snow blanketing parts of the upper Mississippi Valley and a cold rain falling farther south. Tuesday’s snowfall could total 1 to 3 inches in northeastern Iowa and neighboring areas in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In the southern and eastern Corn Belt, some producers await further reduction in the moisture content of crops before harvesting. In Ohio, 87% of the corn had been harvested by November 22.
On the Plains, scattered showers are occurring from Nebraska southward. Most of the precipitation is falling as rain, although snow is accumulating in northeastern Colorado. The moisture is beneficial for winter wheat, some of which has struggled to become established amid widespread drought. On November 22, at least one-fifth of the winter wheat was rated in very poor to poor condition in Colorado (43%), Texas (38%), Kansas (26%), and Nebraska (20%).
In the South, dry weather is promoting previously delayed harvest efforts. However, the Southeastern cotton harvest remains behind schedule; Virginia’s harvest was only 49% complete on November 22, compared to the 5-year average of 90% Elsewhere, warmth is returning across the Deep South, where Tuesday’s high temperatures will top 80° in much of southern Texas and parts of Florida’s peninsula.
In the West, precipitation is limited to the central and southern Rockies, where snow showers are occurring. Dry weather covers the remainder of the region. One-fifth of California’s cotton was harvested during the week ending November 22; overall statewide harvest progress reached 80%, slightly behind the 5-year average of 84%.