Weather
Tranquil, seasonal pattern for now across the Heartland
Across the Corn Belt, cool, cloudy, breezy weather prevails in the wake of a cold front’s passage. Monday morning’s low temperatures fell below 10° in parts of the upper Midwest, especially in areas where snow remains on the ground following the December 23 blizzard.
On the Plains, tranquil weather prevails, although cloudiness has begun to increase across the southern half of the region. Although most winter wheat production areas are currently devoid of snow cover, the National Weather Service has issued advisories for wintry weather, effective later Monday into Tuesday, for much of Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
In the South, temperatures are moderating in advance of a cold front, following a chilly holiday weekend. On December 26 in Florida, freezes were confined to areas northwest of the Tampa-to-Orlando (Interstate 4) corridor, sparing citrus, strawberries, sugarcane, and winter vegetables.
In the West, the most significant winter storm of the season across central and southern California is producing rain showers and high-elevation snow. Precipitation is aiding wildfire mop-up efforts in southern California, where the Creek Fire recently charred more than 4,200 acres of vegetation on and near Camp Pendleton. Early Monday, patchy precipitation extends inland across parts of the Great Basin and the Four Corners States, while cool, dry weather covers the Northwest.
