Weather

“Quiet” weather, for now, on this first, full day of spring; chilly for most of the Midwestern Corn Belt

Across the Corn Belt, dry weather prevails, aside from snow showers in the vicinity of the Great Lakes.  Cold air has settled across the northern Corn Belt, with Wednesday morning’s minimum temperatures falling below 10°F in northern Minnesota.  With a storm brewing, season-to-date snowfall totals that have not yet reached one foot could soon get a boost in locations such as Mobridge, South Dakota (6.5 inches), and Rochester, Minnesota (11.9 inches).

On the Plains, cold air is edging into northern Montana and the Dakotas, setting the stage for a winter storm.  Across the southern half of the Plains, warm, dry weather is promoting fieldwork and winter wheat development.  On March 17, more than one-half (55%) of the winter wheat in Kansas was rated in good to excellent condition, along with 61% in Oklahoma.  In Texas, 46% of the wheat was rated good to excellent on that date, with 13% of the crop headed.

In the South, scattered frost was observed Wednesday morning as far south as Alabama and Georgia, as producers continue to monitor blooming fruits and winter grains for signs of freeze injury.  Dry weather throughout the region favors spring fieldwork, including early-season planting efforts, except in areas that recently received heavy rain.  In Virginia and environs, windy weather and low humidity levels are resulting in a temporarily elevated wildfire threat.

In the West, warm, dry weather in advance of approaching storminess is allowing spring fieldwork to proceed in several key agricultural regions across California and the Southwest.  However, colder, wetter conditions are lurking to the west and north, with showers expected to arrive later Wednesday in the Pacific Northwest.