Eastern Cornbelt:
Highs in the 50s were reported across central and northern Illinois during the week, keeping the Chicago area on track to record one of its warmest Februarys on record. With temperatures expected to climb to the 40s and 50s for the balance of the month, the city could register a record 27 February days with temperatures above the 40-degree mark.
The unseasonably mild weather sparked strong thunderstorms across northern Indiana as the week progressed, with forecasts warning of up to half-inch of rain possible in some locations late on Feb. 22. Northern Ohio was also bracing for rainfall later in the week, with high temperatures falling from upper-40s to the 30s on Feb. 23.
Western Cornbelt:
Unseasonably mild temperatures in the 50s and 60s were reported across much of the Western Cornbelt during the week, prompting some early spring fieldwork and ammonia application in some locations. All of Iowa remained locked in drought, however, with a broad expanse of severe-to-extreme drought conditions covering southern and eastern areas of the state.
Southern Plains:
Highs in the upper-60s and low-70s were common across Kansas and Oklahoma during the week, creating favorable conditions for topdress and preplant fertilizer applications. Highs even reached the low- to mid-80s in northern and central Texas, where growers were planting corn in late February.
Nearly all of New Mexico remained in drought conditions ranging from moderate to exceptional, according to the Feb. 22 US Drought Monitor. Drought conditions extended into western and southern Texas as well, with moderate drought noted in northern Kansas.
South Central:
Scattered showers and above-normal temperatures were reported across Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky during the week, with highs climbing into the 60s. All of Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky were under a severe weather outlook at midweek, with forecasts warning of strong thunderstorms moving through the region.
Gusty winds in Mississippi contributed to fire danger warnings as the week advanced, with some northern areas of the state experiencing moderate-to-severe drought in late February.
Southeast:
Highs in the 50s and 60s were reported in Virginia and the Carolinas, with an increased chance of showers as the week progressed. A wind advisory was in effect for northern Alabama on Feb. 22, while scattered showers were expected to move through Georgia late in the week.
Lows across Florida dipped to the 40s and 50s during the week, while highs were reported in the low-80s in some locations.