Eastern Cornbelt:
Multiple strong thunderstorms hammered parts of northern Illinois at midweek, sparked by high temperatures and humidity that pushed heat index values to as high as 108 degrees in some locations.
High heat and humidity also generated showers and thunderstorms across much of Indiana and Ohio at midweek. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory on Aug. 25 for much of central Ohio, with heat index readings climbing to 95-100 degrees in the state.
Corn and soybean crops continued to benefit from the region’s favorable growing weather. USDA on Aug. 22 rated fully 73-79 percent of Ohio’s corn and soybeans as good or excellent, compared with 67-71 percent of the acreage in Indiana and Illinois.
Western Cornbelt:
Severe thunderstorm watches were in effect on Aug. 24 for much of central and southern Iowa. Another round of severe weather was expected on Aug. 26 for parts of eastern and northern Iowa, with forecasts warning of potentially damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rain.
Hot, muggy conditions were reported in southeastern Nebraska as the week progressed, with highs climbing to the upper-90s and heat index values reaching 105-107 degrees in some locations. The heat and humidity followed a band of strong thunderstorms on Aug. 20 that brought heavy rain, hail, and strong winds to eastern Nebraska.
Heat advisories were also in effect early in the week in parts of Missouri and Kansas, with thermometers topping out at 95 degrees and heat index readings climbing to 107 degrees in the Kansas City area on Aug. 23.
USDA rated 58-61 percent of the corn and soybeans in Iowa as good or excellent on Aug. 22, compared with 61-63 percent in Missouri and 67-69 percent in Nebraska. Missouri’s cotton was 70 percent good or excellent, while 61 percent of the state’s rice crop fell into those two categories. Nebraska’s sorghum crop had reportedly slipped to 56 percent good or excellent, down three points from the prior week.
Southern Plains:
Hot weather blanketed the Southern Plains in late August. With the exception of New Mexico and western Colorado, however, the region was largely drought-free, with favorable crops conditions reported.
Highs across Texas and Kansas reached the mid-90s during the week, while parts of central Oklahoma registered highs in the triple digits. “Corn harvest is going well, and looks a bit better than we had hoped,” remarked one Texas contact. “There was some concern that we had too much rain during pollination, but the ears are filled out and look good.”
USDA rated 52 percent of the Colorado corn crop as good or excellent on Aug. 22, compared with 60-64 percent in Kansas and Texas. The Kansas soybean crop was 58 percent good or excellent on that date, while cotton in those two categories totaled 48 percent of the acreage in Kansas, 66 percent in Oklahoma, and 70 percent in Texas. The regional sorghum crop was 62-74 percent good or excellent on Aug. 22.
South Central:
High heat and humidity blanketed Arkansas and Kentucky during the week, while parts of Middle Tennessee continued to assess damages from up to 15 inches of rain on Aug. 21.
Highs in the mid-90s were reported in northwestern Arkansas as the week progressed, with high humidity pushing heat index readings well into the triple digits. Similar weather was reported across Kentucky, where highs ranged from the upper-80s to low-90s during the week.
Torrential rains caused widespread flooding across western and central Tennessee on Aug. 21, causing at least 15 deaths from flash flooding. Another tropical depression was taking aim at coastal areas of Louisiana and Mississippi in late August, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warning of potentially dangerous winds and heavy rainfall over the coming weekend.
The ample heat and moisture continued to benefit crops across the South Central region. Fully 76-80 percent of the corn in Kentucky and Tennessee was rated as good or excellent on Aug. 22, while soybeans in those two categories totaled 69-70 percent of the acreage in Arkansas and Tennessee, 75-78 percent in Mississippi and Kentucky, and fully 84 percent in Louisiana.
Cotton was also described in favorable terms, with 67 percent of Tennessee’s crop rated as good or excellent, compared with 71-72 percent of the acreage in Louisiana and Mississippi, and 83 percent in Arkansas.
The rice harvest as of Aug. 22 had progressed to 62 percent complete in Louisiana, 51 percent in Texas, and 2 percent in Mississippi and Arkansas, with good or excellent rating assigned to 82-85 percent of the acreage in Mississippi and Louisiana, and 72-74 percent in Arkansas and Texas.
Southeast:
Parts of the Southeast were still recovering from Tropical Storm Fred, which made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Aug. 16 and brought 2-6 inches of rain, flooding, and severe weather to Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia.
One of the hardest hit areas was western North Carolina, where intense flooding left several residents dead and prompted a state of emergency declaration from Gov. Roy Cooper. In Virginia, parts of Fairfax County received more than 4.5 inches of rain, while parts of northern Georgia also experienced localized flooding and downed trees.
Calmer weather settled over the region in late August, although several thunderstorms were reported across Alabama at midweek, along with high humidity and 90-95 degree temperatures. Although some crops benefited from the combination of heat and moisture, sources said citrus crops in Florida were struggling in late August.
Most of the crops were in good shape in the region in late August, however. USDA rated 70-80 percent of North Carolina’s corn and soybeans as good or excellent on Aug. 22, while cotton in those two categories totaled 70-73 percent of the acreage in Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina, 82 percent in South Carolina, and 95 percent in Virginia.
Good or excellent ratings were also assigned to 62-69 percent of the peanut crop in Florida and Alabama, compared with 78 percent in Georgia, 81 percent in North Carolina, and 95-96 percent in South Carolina and Virginia.