WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the second week in a row, monsoon-related moisture interacting with northern cold fronts delivered heavy showers (1 to 4 inches or more), and locally severe thunderstorms from the central Plains to the middle Atlantic Coast, according to the Aug. 25 USDA Weather and Crop Bulletin through the week of Aug. 16-22.

“Wet weather perpetuated lowland flooding in parts of the eastern Corn Belt, but further eased drought on the central Plains,” the USDA said. “Farther south, hot weather stretched from the southern Plains to the southern Atlantic Coast. In the Southeast, showers locally offset heat-related impacts.”

Justin Glisan, State Climatologist of Iowa, told Farm World a heat dome over the south is producing late-summer heat across much of the southern extent of the region, with wetter conditions possible from the Dakotas through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and into the eastern Corn Belt.

“Overall, the central and eastern Corn Belt are relatively drought-free due to wetter conditions over the last several weeks,” he said. “Locations that are forecasted to receive rain over the next several days (as of Sept. 3) are the places that have seen depleted soil moisture, lower lake and stream levels and expanding drought.”

The USDA said impacts from the previous week’s Midwest storms lingered into the new week, with tens of thousands of electrical customers remaining without power in northwestern Indiana, and flood crests moving through creeks and streams to larger rivers in central sections of Illinois and Indiana.

The Aug. 11 derecho that swept from eastern Iowa to the central Appalachians, and caused widespread power outages, had produced official wind gusts to 99 mph in Gary, Ind., and 82 mph in Columbus, Ohio, along with more than 1,000 reports of wind damage, the agency said. Meanwhile, the White River at Noblesville, Ind., achieved a record crest Aug. 15, topping the March 1913 high-water mark by 0.8 foot.

As the week began, the USDA said, heavy showers continued to pepper the Midwest, with daily-record totals for Aug. 16 being set in New Philadelphia, Ohio (2.51 inches), and Rapid City, S.D. (1.14 inches). Muskegon, Mich., measured a daily-record sum (3.35 inches) for Aug. 18. In addition, Columbus, Ohio, secured its second-wettest August, with the month-to-date total of 9.91 inches, ranking behind only 11.46 inches in 2003.

Kevin Cox, a Brazil, Ind., farmer, and an Indiana Corn Marketing Council board member, told Farm World (Sept. 2), “We have been getting adequate rainfall all summer. I’m anxious to see what the soybean yields will be. Usually, farmers will say that yields would be better ‘if we only could have gotten some rain in August.’ Well, we got a lot of rain in August this year.

“This week’s forecast is extremely hot, with highs in the mid-90s (as of Sept. 2), which is quite a change, compared to highs in the mid-80s last week,” he added. “Our crops are progressing quickly with these temperatures. I believe harvest in this area will start ahead of normal this year.”

He said there has been an excessive amount of rain recently – around 8 inches in a week, coupled with strong winds, and some hail: “Fortunately, we missed the torrential downpours and flooding that other parts of the state have experienced of late. I’ve talked to friends who have received anywhere from 9 to 18 inches. Flooding has been common for many farmers. Not just their fields, but many homes as well.”

Glisan said U.S. corn development in row crops is progressing quickly across much of the Corn Belt: “Nationally, 89 percent of corn was in the dough stage, and 62 percent had reached the dented stage, with several key states – including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska – showing strong progress.”

He said nationally, soybean development is ahead of the five-year average, with 95 percent of the crop having set pods, and 9 percent already dropping leaves: “However, crop conditions varied considerably by state, which suggests that weather and moisture availability remain important factors heading into the final stages of the season.”

The Appalachian states, he added, showed some notable differences in moisture and crop conditions: “Overall, the report suggests that crops are moving toward maturity, but regional moisture and weather conditions will continue to influence final yield potential.”

He said forecasts into the second half of September show a strong warm signal for the entire region: “Precipitation outlooks show wetter conditions possible from the central Corn Belt west, near-normal potential from Missouri to Indiana, and drier potential for the Appalachians.”

The USDA’s weekly national crop progress and condition reports run through the end of November, the agency said.