High-impact Blizzard, centered on the Corn Belt, to precede historic cold wave to the Gulf Coast, Florida

High-impact Blizzard, centered on the Corn Belt, to precede historic cold wave to the Gulf Coast, Florida

An upcoming blast of bitterly cold air could cause harm to a variety of crops and commodities, including winter wheat and cattle.  On the northern Plains, where cattle producers recently contended with a multi-day blizzard, mid- to late-week temperatures will broadly plunge from -20 to -35°F.  Currently, winter wheat across the southeastern half of the Plains has no protective snow cover—and could be exposed to late-week temperatures ranging from 0 to -15°F.  The central Plains’ wheat is poorly established and particularly vulnerable to winter weather extremes.  In the Deep South—including peninsular Florida and southern parts of Louisiana and Texas—producers will need to monitor temperature-sensitive crops, such as citrus, sugarcane, and ornamentals and nursery crops, as temperatures plummet.  Prior to the unleashing of the coldest weather across much of the nation’s mid-section since February 2021, a significant winter storm will unfold.  Mid-week snow will blanket the northern Plains, spreading to the central Plains by Thursday.  Subsequently, a strengthening low-pressure system will cross the Corn Belt, with potentially severe snow-, wind-, and cold-related impacts across the mid-South and Midwest. 

.