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.
