Temperatures rebound across the Heartland

Weather

Temperatures rebound across the Heartland

Across the Corn Belt, temperatures have rebounded to near- or above-normal levels. In fact, Tuesday’s high temperatures could reach 65° or higher in parts of the middle Mississippi Valley and should approach 40° in the northern Corn Belt. Midwestern snow has begun to melt amid the mild conditions, though some areas retain a significant snow depth.

On the Plains, windy weather lingers across Montana and the Dakotas, accompanied by snow showers. Farther south, mild weather has replaced the 2-week blast of Arctic air. Later Tuesday, high temperatures should range from 60 to 80° across the southern half of the Plains. Across the southern Plains, rangeland and pastures conditions sharply declined during the February cold wave. On February 21, nearly two-thirds (66%) of the rangeland and pastures in Texas were rated very poor to poor, up from 50% last month. Oklahoma’s very poor to poor rating increased from 24 to 59%.

In the South, tranquil weather continues to promote storm- and freeze-recovery efforts, including infrastructural repairs such as broken water pipes. Tuesday’s high temperatures will range from 65 to 80° throughout the region. Initial reporting for Texas from USDA/NASS indicates “fruit and vegetables in the Lower [Rio Grande] Valley were damaged… Early fruit trees froze in [south-central] Texas.”

In the West, patchy rain and snow showers are confined to the Pacific Northwest and the northern Rockies. Meanwhile, warm, dry weather stretches from California into the Southwest. Tuesday’s high temperatures will exceed 80° in parts of the Southwest, where warmth could lead to premature melting of high-elevation snowpack.