Weather report: Warmer across the West

In the West, warmer weather across California and the Northwest is promoting a rapid pace of fieldwork and crop development. Today’s high temperatures will exceed 90°F in much of California’s Central Valley. In contrast, cool conditions linger across the southern Rockies.

On the Plains, cool weather prevails, except for a return to warmth across western and central Montana. Dry weather favors fieldwork on the northern and central Plains, but widespread showers continue across Texas and southern Oklahoma. Rain is especially beneficial on the drought-affected southern High Plains.

In the Corn Belt, cooler weather prevails in the wake of a departing cold front. A few showers linger across the eastern Corn Belt, including parts of Ohio. Elsewhere in the Midwest, mostly dry weather favors a limited return to corn and soybean planting, following a period of significant rainfall.

In the South, dry weather continues in the Atlantic coastal plain, but scattered showers are developing across the remainder of the region. Rain is still needed for pastures and summer crops in drought-affected areas of Alabama and the Atlantic Coast States. On May 6, nearly one-third (29%) of the pastures in Georgia were rated in very poor to poor condition, along with 40% of those in Florida.

Outlook: During the next few days, a slow-moving cold front will continue to drift across the South and East. On May 8-9, rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches will be common in the Atlantic Coast States. The tail of the front will stall across the Deep South, resulting in much higher rainfall amounts (locally 2 to 5 inches) across the southern half of Texas. Elsewhere, dry weather will prevail west of the Rockies through week’s end, while only light, sporadic showers will occur from the Plains into the Midwest. One of the few areas of consistent warmth will be California, where late-week temperatures will approach 100°F in the Central Valley. The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook for May 13-17 calls for near- to above-normal temperatures nationwide, except for cooler-than-normal conditions in the Southeast. Meanwhile, near- to below-normal precipitation across the majority of the U.S. will contrast with wetterthan- normal weather on the southern Plains and along the Atlantic Seaboard.

1. New animal identification rules aid disease traceability
2. Oklahoma producers have access to new OQBN tool
3. Survey reveals most Americans in favor of COOL
4. Oil ends higher on weaker dollar, supplies weigh
5. Purdue's beef evaluation program receives 10,000th bull
6. Corn planting pace turns from record slow to record fast

1. Michigan hay buyers should plan purchases early
2. U.S. cattle placements rise in April as feed costs subside
3. Ag markets were mixed to start the new week
4. Corn planting pace turns from record slow to record fast
5. Drought losses in Oklahoma top $400 million for 2012
6. Corn and soybean prices continue to retrace 2012 drought rally

1. Tyson selects panel to monitor animal welfare program
2. BeefTalk: How do we get the next generation to raise beef?
3. 2014 Farm Bill: Are we near an agreement?
4. Farm bill and immigration reform action needed
5. Boxed beef hits record highs, cattle weak to lower