Weather
Fair & mild on the Plains; cool & unsettled across much of the Corn Belt
Across the Corn Belt, mild, dry weather temporarily prevails across the upper Midwest, although cool, damp field conditions continue to limit corn and soybean planting. Meanwhile, cool, dreary, rainy weather covers much of the southern and eastern Corn Belt, keeping fieldwork on hold. Friday’s high temperatures will remain below 60°F is some Midwestern locations from Illinois, eastward.
On the Plains, hot weather grips drought-stricken western Texas and neighboring areas, where Friday’s high temperatures could reach 95°F or higher. Between storm systems, the remainder of the nation’s mid-section is experiencing mild, dry weather. However, rivers continue to run high in several areas, including the southeastern Plains and the Red River Valley of the North. On May 5, the Red River at Drayton, North Dakota, crested 11.17 feet above flood stage, tying April 2011 for the fifth-highest level on record, behind the high-water marks of April 1997, 2009, 1979, and 2020.
In the South, dry weather is returning from the western Gulf Coast region to the Mississippi Delta. However, flooding lingers in parts of the mid-South, including the Ozark Plateau, following recent downpours. Early Friday, showers and thunderstorms are spreading into the southern Atlantic region, which has been experiencing hot, dry weather.
In the West, showers stretch from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies. Very warm, dry weather across the remainder of the region is boosting irrigation demands—but favors fieldwork and crop development. Friday’s high temperatures will exceed 100°F in parts of the Desert Southwest. According to the May 3 U.S. Drought Monitor, 91% of the 11-state Western region is experiencing drought—a value that has been above 70% each week since mid-September 2020.
