Weather
A brief lull in active weather across the Heartland
Across the Corn Belt, cool, dry weather prevails between storm systems. The recently ended storm deposited significant snow across the upper Midwest, with 9.6 inches reported on December 29 in Des Moines, Iowa. Much of the southern and eastern Corn Belt is preparing for the next round of wintry Midwestern weather (snow and freezing rain).
On the Plains, a winter storm is underway across west-central Texas, where heavy snow is falling. The storm system, currently centered near the Texas coast, is also producing heavy rain in parts of eastern Texas. Meanwhile, dry weather covers the northern and central Plains, following recent snowfall. In Nebraska and portions of neighboring states, snow is providing winter wheat with beneficial moisture and insulation.
In the South, locally heavy rain stretches from the Tennessee Valley into eastern Texas. Local flooding is already occurring from eastern Texas into parts of Arkansas, with rain continuing to fall. Meanwhile, warm, mostly dry weather prevails across Florida’s peninsula.
In the West, precipitation is most widespread in the Pacific Northwest. However, rain and snow showers also dot central California and the Great Basin. Meanwhile, dry weather prevails in southern California and the Southwest. According to the December 29 U.S. Drought Monitor, drought covers 78.6% of the 11-state Western region.
