Weather
Early Winter-like look, feel for parts of the Heartland
Across the Corn Belt, dry weather has returned across the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes region, following recent snowfall. On December 1, snow in Ohio totaled 9.5 inches in Cleveland, 7.7 inches in Youngstown, and 1.4 inches in Dayton. On November 29, prior to the snowfall, Ohio’s corn harvest was 92% complete. Cool, dry weather also covers the remainder of the Midwest, although drier conditions in the western Corn Belt favor off-season farm activities.
On the Plains, a winter storm is getting underway across the southern half of the region. Snow in parts of northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas is starting to cause some travel disruptions, although the moisture is benefiting winter wheat. In contrast, mild, dry weather prevails across the northern Plains, which currently have little or no snow coverage.
In the South, a Freeze Warning was in effect early Wednesday across much of southern Georgia and northern Florida. However, freezes did not reach into Florida’s citrus belt. Elsewhere, cool, dry weather favors a return to late-season harvest efforts and other fieldwork, except in areas where fields remain excessively wet. On November 29, more than one-fifth of the cotton remained in the field in Virginia (62% harvested), North Carolina (74%), and South Carolina (77%).
In the West, an elevated to critical wildfire threat continues in parts of southern California, which is experiencing dry weather, low humidity levels, and a significant offshore wind event. On November 29, USDA rated topsoil moisture at least three-quarters very short to short in Colorado (83%), New Mexico (82%), Utah (81%), and California (75%).
