Weather
Cold wave dominates the Corn Belt
Across the Corn Belt, overnight temperatures have again plunged below 0°F in many locations, stretching as far south as the Ohio Valley. Most of the Midwestern winter wheat crop remains protected beneath a blanket of snow, although coverage is thin and patchy in central portions of Illinois and Indiana. Low temperatures continue to stress livestock, but winds have become mostly calm in the Ohio Valley. In advance of an approaching cold front, snow showers and breezy conditions are developing in the upper Midwest.
On the Plains, mild, mostly dry weather prevails in advance of a strong cold front. Friday’s high temperatures could reach or exceed 80° in parts of central and west-central Texas. On the High Plains, winter wheat has lost some hardiness in recent weeks due to periods of unusually warm weather.
In the South, Freeze Warnings were in effect early Friday across most of Florida’s peninsula, necessitating the use of sprinklers on crops such as citrus and strawberries. Breezy conditions are reducing the effectiveness of some forms of freeze protection, including the use of helicopters. Very cold weather continues across the remainder of the South, except for a return to above-normal temperatures in the western Gulf Coast region.
In the West, record-setting warmth prevails from California to the Four Corners States, accompanied by dry weather. Meanwhile, cooler air is arriving in the Northwest, while snow is developing in the northern Rockies.
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