NWS: No late-season relief for dry western Corn Belt

The National Weather Service (NWS) 30-day forecast calls for elevated chances of below-normal precip across the northern and western Corn Belt during September. There are also higher odds of above-normal temps over much of the western Corn Belt next month. Aside from northwestern Illinois, which is also expected to trend warmer and drier than normal, the eastern Corn Belt has “equal chances” for above-, below- and normal temps and precip during September.

The 90-day outlook calls for above-normal temps across virtually the entire country aside from the far northwestern Corn Belt and Pacific Northwest, which have “equal chances” for temps. A large bubble of below-normal precip is expected over the central United States.

The extended forecast suggests the end of the growing season could be a struggle in western areas of the Corn Belt that are already dealing with dry conditions. But a warm, dry fall would help crops dry down in fields, limiting drying costs, and should result in a relatively uneventful harvest weather wise.