Weather
An intensifying Spring storm generating high-impact weather across the Plains
Across the Corn Belt, warm weather prevails in advance of an approaching storm system. Tuesday’s high temperatures will reach 70 to 80°F or higher throughout the southwestern Corn Belt, extending northward into parts of Iowa and eastward into Illinois. Meanwhile, rain showers are spreading across the upper Midwest. On April 10, topsoil moisture rated surplus ranged from 40 to 60% in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, keeping fieldwork at a minimum.
On the Plains, a ferocious spring storm is underway across Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. Hazards include difficult travel conditions and severe stress on livestock, mainly due to unusually cold weather and wind-driven snow. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for much of North Dakota and portions of neighboring states. Meanwhile, from Nebraska to western Texas, high winds, low humidity levels, and parched vegetation are leading to an extreme grassfire threat, along with the possibility of blowing dust.
In the South, warm, humid weather prevails. Showers and thunderstorms are occurring in several areas, including southern Texas and the Tennessee Valley. On April 10, Arkansas led the region with topsoil moisture rated 32% surplus.
In the West, sharply cooler weather prevails in the wake of a departing storm system. Portland, Oregon, which until this year had never received measurable snowfall in April, officially measured 1.6 inches of snow on Monday. Early Tuesday, rain and snow showers linger from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies. Meanwhile, Freeze Warnings are in effect in several areas, including northern sections of California’s Sacramento Valley.
