Weather
Temperatures moderate on parts of the Plains
Across the Corn Belt, snow showers are confined to areas downwind of the Great Lakes. Cool, dry weather covers the remainder of the Midwest, favoring late-season corn and soybean harvest efforts in areas where fields are not wet. In Michigan, where 76% of the corn and 80% of the soybeans had been harvested by November 14, topsoil moisture was rated 47% surplus. On the same date, topsoil moisture in Ohio and Indiana was 25 and 22% surplus, respectively.
On the Plains, dry weather and southerly winds accompany a temperature rebound. In fact, Friday’s high temperatures will exceed 60°F as far north as western Nebraska, less than 36 hours after readings locally fell below 10°F. Topsoil moisture shortages continue to hamper winter wheat establishment in several areas, particularly in parts of Montana and across the southern half of the High Plains. In addition, an elevated grassfire threat exists today on the southern High Plains.
In the South, clouds and scattered showers linger across Florida’s peninsula. Elsewhere, cool, dry weather favors fieldwork, including winter wheat planting and cotton, peanut, and soybean harvesting. In Louisiana, 43% of the sugarcane had been harvested by November 14, compared to the 5-year average of 50%.
In the West, widely scattered rain and snow showers are occurring across the northern half of the region. Some of the most organized precipitation extends inland from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies. Meanwhile, warm, dry weather prevails in the Southwest. Near Estes Park, Colorado, the 147-acre Kruger Rock Fire—sparked on November 16 when winds blew a tree onto a powerline—is reported to be 60% contained.
