Eastern Cornbelt:
Powerful thunderstorms brought damaging winds and torrential rain to parts of the Eastern Cornbelt and Great Lakes regions during the week.
Severe thunderstorm warnings were in effect for most of central Indiana on Aug. 1, with power outages affecting more than 13,000 residents. An overnight deluge in central and southern Illinois on Aug. 1-2 dumped as much as 8-12 inches of rain on some locations, prompted flash flood warnings stretching from Springfield to south of Effingham.
The storms were part of the same massive weather system that produced flooding in St. Louis, Mo., and eastern Kentucky in late July.
High heat and humidity in northern Illinois and Indiana prompted a heat advisory at midweek and sparked another round of thunderstorms on Aug. 3, with reports of power outages and spotty crop and structural damage due to strong winds, hail, and heavy rain.
Strong thunderstorms also rolled through Ohio and Michigan during the week, along with high temperatures that hit the 90-degree mark in northeastern Ohio. Severe weather across multiple southern and central Michigan counties at midweek resulted in torrential rains and reports of widespread power outages.
Crop conditions were mostly favorable in the Eastern Cornbelt and Great Lakes region in early August. Good or excellent ratings were assigned to fully 77% of the corn and soybeans in Wisconsin, 68-74% in Illinois, 56-64% in Michigan, 54-56% in Ohio, and 48-50% in Indiana.
Western Cornbelt:
Pleasant midweek temperatures in much of Iowa were expected to be followed by higher heat and humidity later in the week. Highs in the 90s were once again in the weekend forecast for western areas of the state. Nebraska was also bracing for more hot weather heading into the weekend, although isolated showers were popping up at midweek.
Barely a week after record rainfall hit the St. Louis, Mo., area, another powerful storm dropped 2-4 inches in parts of the city on Aug. 4, prompting more flash flood warnings for the western and southern suburbs. Some locations reported 1-3 inches falling in just one hour, along with 60-mph wind gusts.
Fully 73-76% of Iowa’s corn and soybeans were rated as good or excellent on July 31, compared with 54-57% in Nebraska and 49-52% in Missouri. Nebraska’s sorghum crop was 36% good or excellent, down from the prior week’s 39%. Missouri’s cotton and rice were reported at 53% and 56% good or excellent, respectively, with 64% of the cotton setting bolls and 32% of the rice headed.
Northern Plains:
Like much of the country, the Northern Plains endured blistering heat during the first week of August. Temperatures soared to 105 degrees in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Aug. 2, the highest reading in 27 years. Heat index readings in Minnesota climbed to 110 in Minneapolis and 115 in Hutchinson on the same day.
Hot, dry weather was also reported in North Dakota, where Bismarck notched a high of 97 degrees on Aug. 2.
The combination of heat and well-timed precipitation made for good crop conditions in the region, even after the late start this spring. With 7-13% of the regional corn crop in the dough, USDA assigned good or excellent ratings to 62% of the acreage in Minnesota, 65% in South Dakota, and fully 79% in North Dakota. The region’s soybean crop was 63-66% good or excellent as of July 31.
As for small grains, 80-82% of the spring wheat and 68-72% of the barley in Minnesota and North Dakota fell in the good or excellent categories, with South Dakota’s spring wheat and sorghum rated as 54-56% good or excellent. The oat harvest was 48% complete in South Dakota and 16% in Minnesota, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 64% of the acreage in Minnesota, 65% in South Dakota, and 81% in North Dakota.
Northeast:
Oppressive heat and humidity blanketed the Northeast during the week, but cooler temperatures and an increased chance of thunderstorms were in the weekend forecast for some areas. An earlier system produced at least two tornadoes in western Pennsylvania on Aug. 1.
Heat advisories were in effect for southern New England and parts of New York and Pennsylvania as the week progressed, with high temperatures reaching the 90s and heat index values climbing into the triple digits. Potentially strong thunderstorms were expected to move in on Aug. 5 and stick around through the weekend, with flash flooding possible in some areas.
Maryland also experienced intense heat during the week, prompting a Code Red Extreme Heat Alert for Baltimore on Aug. 4, with highs expected to reach the upper-90s and heat index readings climbing to 105 degrees.
The combination of heat and moisture contributed to generally favorable crop ratings in much of the region, with 63% of Pennsylvania’s corn rated as good or excellent on July 31.
Eastern Canada:
High heat and humidity sparked a string of strong thunderstorms across Eastern Canada during the week. The first round moved through Quebec and New Brunswick on Aug. 2, while a stronger system brought flooding rain and tornado warnings to southern Ontario on Aug. 3.
Temperatures in the mid-to upper-20s C were common across southern Ontario and Quebec during the week, with humidex readings climbing to the upper-30s. Environment Canada issued heat warnings across Nova Scotia and into southern New Brunswick at midweek.
Crop conditions varied significant across the region depending on the amount and timing of summer rainfall. “We have areas that have received adequate rainfall and crops look great,” said one source. “Other areas are suffering from lack of rain earlier in July. Other areas are showing stress now as storms pass around them and little rain is to be found.”
Added another contact: “Crops are hanging in there, but we could really use some rain. We have a big thunderstorm and tornado warning for this evening, so will get some moisture, but what we really need is a good all-day soaking rain.”