Weather
Seasonal weather pattern across the Heartland
Across the Corn Belt, dry weather accompanies a warming trend, hastening summer crop maturation. High temperatures Friday will range from near 75°F in Michigan to 90°F or higher in parts of the western Corn Belt. Despite recent rainfall, serious soil moisture deficiencies persist in drought-affected areas of the upper Midwest; on September 5, for example, topsoil moisture in South Dakota was rated 66% very short to short.
On the Plains, a late-season heat wave is peaking. Friday’s high temperatures should top 90°F in most locations, with readings of 100°F or higher expected across portions of the central and southern Plains. The hot, dry weather favors fieldwork and summer crop maturation, but is reducing moisture availability for recently planted winter wheat.
In the South, hot, humid weather lingers across Florida’s peninsula and the western Gulf Coast region. Elsewhere, pleasant temperatures and lower humidity levels are promoting summer crop maturation and harvesting—and aiding hurricane recovery efforts. On September 5, corn harvest completion among the Gulf Coast States ranged from 36% in Alabama to 90% in Louisiana. New Orleans, Louisiana, reported a low temperature of 73°F on September 9, marking the first reading below the 75-degree mark in that location since August 6.
In the West, a few showers and higher humidity levels across northern California and the Pacific Northwest are aiding wildfire containment efforts. Early Friday, Redding, California, received its heaviest rain since April 25. However, in areas of the Great Basin and northern Intermountain West where rain is not falling, an elevated wildfire threat persists due to gusty winds and the possibility of lightning strikes. Elsewhere, hot, dry weather covers the Southwest.
