Page 2 - Soil Temp News Today

Vegetation health analysis reinforces ideas of needed moisture as late summer approaches

A heat dome will spread above-normal temperatures into much of the U.S. next week. Heat stress will be coming at an inopportune time for pollinating and filling corn as well as filling soybeans. There is some potential for rainfall across some areas, but an overall hotter and drier period should stress both crops.

Its a popular topic when drought becomes entrenched, but its not always an easy answer.

A derecho brought widespread wind damage and hurricane-force winds to Illinois and surrounding areas along the Iowa-Missouri border and into southern Indiana on June 29.

The latest run of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows expanding D1, or moderate drought, conditions across the Eastern Corn Belt, while rainy weather in the Southern Plains led to notable improvements.

Drought impact could mean almost one-third of U.S. winter wheat acreage gets abandoned in 2023.

Statewide average rainfall in Illinois was more than one-third below normal in both April and May.

Dryness has been a concern, with wildfires and drought affecting the Canadian Prairies. More rainfall is needed, even if it does delay seeding. Mother Nature may have a partial remedy next week.

With El Nino expected to develop this summer, lets look at what that means to the weather patterns for North America.

A cold wave in early March from the far north shows potential to linger during a good portion of the 2023 spring season.