Weather
A more typical Winter look, feel dominates parts of the Heartland
Across the Corn Belt, colder, mostly dry weather prevails. In fact, Wednesday morning’s low temperatures dipped below 0°F in the upper Midwest and plunged to -20°F or below in the Red River Valley of the North, increasing stress on livestock.
On the Plains, lingering warmth is generally confined to parts of Texas. Cold, mostly dry weather covers the remainder of the nation’s mid-section. Across portions of the southern High Plains, measurable precipitation has not fallen since October 12, more than 11 weeks ago. Farther north, bitterly cold conditions across Montana and the Dakotas—with scattered readings below -20°F Wednesday morning for the fourth day in a row—are increasing livestock stress.
In the South, record-setting warmth continues, although a few showers and thunderstorms have begun to develop from the Mississippi Delta to the southern Appalachians. Wednesday’s high temperatures will reach or exceed 80°F along and near the Gulf Coast, with readings near 90°F in Deep South Texas.
In the West, a slow-moving storm system near the Pacific Coast is sparking another round of significant precipitation, especially in northern and central California. Many other areas of the West continue to experience below-normal temperatures and periods of snow. Measurable snow fell each day from December 26-28 in locations such as Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Salt Lake City, Utah; Elko, Nevada; and Flagstaff, Arizona.
