Eastern Cornbelt:
High heat and humidity continued to blanket much of the Eastern Cornbelt, with highs reaching the upper-90s in parts of Illinois at midweek. Thunderstorms were also moving through the region as the week progressed, with reports of heavy rain and damaging winds in parts of northern Indiana on July 7-8.
Northern Ohio was also expecting an additional half-inch of rain as the week progressed, with 10-day rainfall totals reported up to 2-3 inches in some locations. Parts of the state were bracing for another round of strong thunderstorms late in the week.
Crop conditions remained favorable in the region in early July. Good or excellent ratings were assigned to fully 77-80 percent of Ohio’s corn and soybeans on July 4, compared with 70-73 percent in Indiana and 63-65 percent in Illinois. The winter wheat harvest had reportedly progressed to 87 percent complete in Illinois, 44 percent in Indiana, and 30 percent in Ohio, with 74-78 percent of crop rated as good or excellent.
Western Cornbelt:
Much of the Western Cornbelt experienced high heat and humidity during the week, with forecasts warning of severe thunderstorms over the coming weekend.
Parts of central Iowa were bracing for 1-3 inches of rain by the weekend, which would help ease drought concerns after a 2.5-inch deficit in June rainfall. High heat and humidity were expected to generate some strong thunderstorms in western Nebraska late in the week, with forecasts warning of large hail, damaging winds, and the possibility of tornados.
Highs in central and northern Missouri reached the low-90s late in the week, with nearly all of southern Missouri enduring heat indices of around 100 degrees. Weekend forecasts warned of “widespread” storms across the state, with rainfall expected to range from a half-inch to two inches.
In terms of crop conditions, Nebraska remained the region’s garden spot in early July, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 82 percent of the state’s corn and soybeans and 85 percent of the sorghum. Iowa’s corn and soybeans were 59-62 percent good or excellent as of July 4, while Missouri posted good or excellent ratings for 55-59 percent of the corn and soybeans, 70 percent of the rice, and 73 percent of the cotton.
The region’s winter wheat harvest was underway in early July. Progress was rated at 66 percent complete in Missouri and 7 percent in Nebraska, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 49 percent of the acreage in Missouri and 65 percent in Nebraska.
Northern Plains:
Long-overdue rains hit much of Minnesota on July 6, with temperatures falling nearly 20 degrees from the previous day’s high. Temperatures in Minneapolis, Minn., topped out in the upper-70s on July 6, down from 96 degrees on Monday, with rainfall totals ranging from a half to three-quarters of an inch.
The cooler temperatures were expected to linger for most of the week, but another round of hot weather was likely by the weekend. Scattered thunderstorms and showers were also reported in western and central North Dakota, with highs falling to the upper-70s and low-80s at midweek. Weekend temperatures were expected to climb to the upper-80s and 90s, however.
The July 8 U.S. Drought Monitor continued to show drought conditions covering the entire Northern Plains, with a vast section of central North Dakota registering extreme-to-exceptional drought. Most of South Dakota and Minnesota reported moderate-to-severe drought conditions in early July.
The drought has taken a toll on crop quality in the Northern Plains. Just 24 percent of South Dakota’s corn was rated as good or excellent on July 4, compared with 35 percent in North Dakota and 41 percent in Minnesota. North Dakota’s soybeans were only 19 percent good or excellent, compared with 24 percent in South Dakota and 44 percent in Minnesota.
Small grains were also suffering in early July. USDA assigned good or excellent ratings to 35-36 percent of Minnesota’s spring wheat and barley on July 4, compared with 14-18 percent in North Dakota and just 7 percent in South Dakota. Fully 50-56 percent of North Dakota’s spring wheat and barley fell in the poor or very poor categories in early July.
Northeast:
The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions were bracing for heavy rain from Tropical Storm Elsa as the week progressed. The storm was hovering over southern Georgia at midweek, but was expected to bring 1-2 inches of rain and gusty winds to Maryland on July 8-9. A flash flood watch was issued for multiple Maryland counties late in the week.
Baltimore, Md., was hit with strong thunderstorms at midweek that produced heavy rain, 60-mph wind gusts, and quarter-sized hail. Spotty thunderstorms were also reported in Pennsylvania, and a heat advisory was in effect for central areas of the state, with highs reaching the mid-90s.
High heat and humidity continued for southern New England as well, but a tropical storm watch was in effect later in the week as Elsa moved into the region. Forecasts warned of two or more inches of rain across interior portions of the region, with winds gusting to 50-55 mph across the Cape and Islands. Heavy rain was also expected in Vermont.
Although Maine was experiencing moderate-to-severe drought ahead of Elsa’s arrival, high heat and ample rainfall in much of the Northeast has produced excellent crops so far this summer. Fully 85 percent of Pennsylvania’s corn crop was rated as good or excellent on July 4.