Sweltering heat encompassed the Corn Belt region in the final week of August. Cooler temperatures will usher in, but warmer weather is expected to return by early September.
A high heat made a scorching return to the U. S. Corn Belt during the final full week of August, bringing a toasty reminder that it’s still very much summer. For the week-ending Aug. 26, temperatures across the growing region soared well above normal for many, with temperatures at least 10-15 F above normal for this time of year.
According to data from WeatherTrends360, weekly average maximum temperatures for the Corn Belt trended the first warmest in 30+ years for this seven-day period. States like Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma reported multiple consecutive days with highs reaching triple digits for most of the state.
However, 100+ degree highs were also recorded on at least one day in select areas of South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. Relief from the heat began to arrive on Saturday, though, as cooler than normal temperatures pushed into the Northern Plains and Great Lakes.
Precipitation for the week was very minimal across the Corn Belt with a vast majority trending much drier than normal. Combining the lack of rainfall with the sweltering heat, existing drought conditions are likely to have been exacerbated.
As of Aug. 22, large portions of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas remained under drought conditions. According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, 43% of the U. S. corn crop is still growing in drought. However, this is down from the seasonal high of 70% reported back in late June.
For the week-ending Sept. 2, Corn Belt temperatures will vary throughout the week. Starting with generally cooler than normal trends during the first half of the week, much warmer temperatures return to the growing region mid to late week and are forecast to stick around into early September.
Much like late-August, early September could bring temperatures that trend at least 10-15 F above normal to much of the Corn Belt. Weekly rainfall will once again trend well below normal across the Central and Midwestern United States.
According to data from WeatherTrends360, the week is forecast to trend the second driest in 30+ years for the Corn Belt as a whole. However, the cooler trends to start the week will help control the weekly regional trend as temperatures are forecast to trend the sixth coldest in 30+ years for the same period.
Source : Successful Farming