Eastern Cornbelt:
Winter Storm Izzy was expected to bring 1-3 inches of snow to central Illinois by the weekend, with parts of northern Ohio likely to pick up an additional 3-5 inches of accumulation. Colder temperatures were also moving in as part of the strong weather system, with highs in central Indiana topping out in the mid-30s by the end of the week.
Izzy follows a band of lake-effect snowstorms early in the week that blanketed parts of northern Ohio with 3-5 inches of snow.
Western Cornbelt:
Parts of the Western Cornbelt enjoyed mild temperatures at midweek, but cold weather and potentially heavy snowfall were in the weekend forecast as Winter Storm Izzy churned through the region.
Temperatures fell from the mid-40s and 50s to the mid-30s in Iowa, with 8-10 inches of snow expected in the Des Moines area by Jan. 15. Eastern Nebraska was also bracing for potentially heavy snow, along with gusty winds that were expected to produce whiteout conditions on Jan. 14-15.
Northern Missouri was also in the storm’s path, with a mix of rain and snow on Jan. 14. Some parts of the state were expecting 2-5 inches of snow by Jan. 15.
Southern Plains:
Temperatures in the 60s were reported across Kansas and Oklahoma at midweek, but the weekend forecast called for gusty winds, much colder weather, and a chance of rain and snow. The windy weather prompted a number of red flag fire warnings, with a wide area of severe-to-extreme drought covering much of central and northern Texas and most of Oklahoma.
Severe-to-extreme drought was also reported across northern New Mexico and eastern Colorado at midweek, with highs climbing to the 50s in Denver and 60s across eastern Colorado earlier in the week. The unseasonably mild temperatures came after a period of cold, snowy weather in Colorado at the start of the year.
Sources reported minimal fieldwork in the region, although seed corn was being processed and prepared for shipment to the farm in Texas, where some corn planting normally begins by Valentine’s Day. Texas sources also reported a high interest in cotton seed for 2022, as well as expectations of a busy wheat topdress season this winter due to higher acreage this year.
South Central:
Much of the South Central region was bracing for a dose of winter weather by the coming weekend, marking a big change from some record-high temperatures at the start of the year.
A mix of rain, sleet, and snow was expected across Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky by the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, with forecasts calling for up to three inches of snow in some Kentucky locations. Even parts of Louisiana and Mississippi were expecting light snow showers and chilly temperatures, coming just weeks after record highs in the 80s were posted in a number of Mississippi locations on New Year’s Day.
Southeast:
Winter Storm Izzy was expected to bring snow to the north Georgia mountains and parts of southwestern Virginia by the weekend, with sleet and freezing rain likely for central Georgia, much of North Carolina and Virginia, and northern South Carolina. Rain was in the weekend forecast for areas closer to the coastal Carolinas and southeastern Virginia.
Strong winds were also possible on Jan. 16 for parts of the Southeast, with inland areas of Florida expecting nighttime lows in the mid-40s on Jan. 14-15.