Eastern Cornbelt:
Strong thunderstorms pushed through northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana at midweek, causing widespread power outages and prompting tornado warnings and flood advisories for multiple counties. Several tornadoes were confirmed in the Chicago area late on July 12.
High heat and humidity blanketed much of the Eastern Cornbelt during the week, fueling the stormy weather. Rain showers were expected to push through central and northern Ohio as the week progressed, with tornado watches in effect for parts of southeastern Michigan at midweek.
Moderate-to-severe drought continued to cover most of Illinois, northern Indiana, and Michigan. Just 30-36% of Michigan’s corn and soybeans fell in the good or excellent categories on July 13, compared with 36-39% in Illinois, 53-55% in Indiana, and 59-67% in Ohio.
Western Cornbelt:
Strong thunderstorms pounded parts of eastern Nebraska and much of Iowa at midweek with strong winds, hail, and heavy rain in some locations. Rainfall totals in Iowa on July 12 included 4.4 inches in Boone, 3.5 inches in Huxley, and 2.25 inches in Des Moines.
After an earlier storm brought damaging winds to northeastern Nebraska on July 10, eastern areas of the state were hit again on July 12 with at least two confirmed tornadoes, large hail, and heavy rain. Severe weather was also reported in Missouri at midweek, including reports of large hail and strong winds.
Drought conditions continued to take a toll on crops in the region, but conditions were slightly improved from last week. Just 25-26% of Missouri’s corn and soybeans were rated as good or excellent on July 9, compared with 52-61% in Iowa and 55-62% in Nebraska. Missouri’s cotton and rice were 69% and 76% good or excellent, respectively, while fully 67% of Nebraska’s sorghum crop fell into those two categories on July 9.
Northern Plains:
High heat and humidity sparked several thunderstorms across the Northern Plains during the week. Large hail and damaging winds were reported in parts of central and southern Minnesota early in the week, with central and southern areas of South Dakota experiencing the same conditions at midweek.
Despite worsening drought conditions across the state, fully 61% of Minnesota’s corn and soybeans were rated as good or excellent on July 9, compared with 53-56% in South Dakota. North Dakota’s corn was 67% good or excellent, with 51% of the state’s soybeans falling in those two categories.
Minnesota’s spring wheat and barley were 60-62% good or excellent in early July, compared with 42-45% in North Dakota. Oats in the good or excellent categories totaled 50-52% of the acreage in the Dakotas and 47% of Minnesota’s crop, with 53% of the sorghum crop in South Dakota also rated as good or excellent.
Northeast:
Parts of New York State were hit with up to eight inches of rain on July 9, causing flash flooding that resulted in road closures and evacuations for some communities.
The powerful system also dropped as much as five inches in western Connecticut and prompted flood watches across Massachusetts early in the week. The Lake Champlain area in northern Vermont was bracing for up to four inches of rain by July 11.
The same system also produced an EF1 tornado in Middleton, Del., while some Philadelphia suburbs were hit with 5-7 inches of rain in just 24 hours, pushing area rivers and streams out of their banks.
Eastern Canada:
Tornado warnings were in effect for parts of eastern Ontario and southern Quebec on July 12-13 as powerful thunderstorms pushed through the region. The strong system also produced heavy rain, with flash flooding reported in parts of Montreal on July 13.
Heat warnings were in effect earlier in July for much of the Maritimes. The combination of heat and precipitation contributed to good crop conditions in Eastern Canada, though some areas were hoping for drier weather after several weeks of surplus moisture.