Temperatures briefly moderating across the Heartland

Weather

Temperatures briefly moderating across the Heartland

Across the Corn Belt, cold, mostly dry weather prevails. However, a few snow showers are occurring, mainly downwind of the Great Lakes. Monday morning’s low temperatures fell below 0°F in parts of the upper Midwest, with readings below -20°F common across northern Minnesota. Snow from earlier storminess remains on the ground across the northern Corn Belt and in the Mississippi Valley approximately as far south as the Illinois-Iowa-Missouri triple point.

On the Plains, an advisory for low windchill temperatures is in effect early Monday across much of North Dakota and northeastern sections of Montana and South Dakota, where conditions remain difficult for livestock. Even without the added effect of the wind, Monday morning’s temperatures fell to near -20°F in the Red River Valley of the North. In stark contrast, temperatures on the High Plains could top 50°F later Monday as far north as western South Dakota. Parched rangeland, pastures, and winter wheat across portions of the central and southern Plains are still in need of moisture.

In the South, lingering warmth is generally confined to the southern Atlantic region. Monday’s high temperatures could reach or exceed 80°F in southern Florida, where scattered showers continue. Following recent storms, several rivers in the mid-South are running high, with generally minor flooding reported.

In the West, a weak cold front is producing cloudiness in the Pacific Coast States, although precipitation is mostly limited to western sections of Oregon and Washington. The remainder of the West is experiencing dry weather, following drought-easing December storminess. During the first one-third of January, less than an inch of water equivalency has been added to the Sierra Nevada snowpack, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

.