Weather

A slow-moving Spring storm treks across much of the Heartland

Across the Corn Belt, a low-pressure system crossing the lower Missouri Valley is producing widespread rain. Warmth lingers across the Ohio Valley, while cooler air is overspreading the remainder of the Midwest. In parts of eastern Nebraska, rain has changed to wet snow, accompanied by howling winds.

On the Plains, dry weather has returned across most areas, although a mix of rain and wind-driven snow lingers early Tuesday across parts of Kansas and Nebraska. The Plains’ recent and ongoing precipitation, which bypassed some areas, is providing beneficial moisture for drought-stressed rangeland, pastures, and winter grains. On March 20 in Texas, 79% of the winter wheat was rated in very poor to poor condition, along with three-quarters of the rangeland, pastures, and oats.

In the South, heavy showers and locally severe thunderstorms stretch from the Mississippi Delta to coastal Texas. In conjunction with the storms, high winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes remain a threat. Meanwhile, warm, dry weather prevails across the Southeast, favoring spring fieldwork, winter wheat development, and the emergence of recently planted summer crops.

In the West, warm, dry weather prevails in the Pacific Coast States, where Tuesday’s high temperatures could reach 90°F as far north as California’s Sacramento Valley. Dry weather also covers the remainder of the western U.S., while chilly conditions prevail in the central and southern Rockies.