Weather

Favorable weather, for now, across the Heartland

Across the Corn Belt, dry weather and above-normal temperatures are promoting some late-autumn corn and soybean harvest efforts, where field conditions permit. However, soggy field conditions and a high moisture content for unharvested corn and soybeans continue to limit fieldwork, especially across the northern Corn Belt.

On the Plains, mild, mostly dry weather favors late-season harvest activities for crops such as cotton, peanuts, sorghum, and sunflowers. The mild weather is also encouraging some winter wheat growth, following a sharp, mid-November cold snap. Currently, significant precipitation (a mix of rain and snow) is confined to central and eastern North Dakota.

In the South, dry weather is nearly ideal for winter wheat planting and late-autumn harvest efforts for crops such as cotton, peanuts, and soybeans. Cool conditions linger in the southern Atlantic States, but warm air is overspreading the western Gulf Coast region and the mid-South.

In the West, patchy, light rain and snow showers stretch from the Pacific Northwest to the Intermountain region. Meanwhile, drought-stressed Southwestern rangeland and pastures are benefiting from the recent boost in soil moisture.