Across the Corn Belt, cool weather covers the Great Lakes region. Meanwhile, a cold front crossing the upper Midwest is producing locally heavy showers and thunderstorms. On June 3, soybean emergence ranged from 26 to 30 percentage points ahead of the statewide 5-year averages in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri.
On the Plains, scattered showers and thunderstorms accompany above-normal temperatures. Across the drought-affected southern Plains, showers are providing only local relief. On June 3 in Texas, topsoil moisture was rated 77% very short to short.
In the South, showers have largely ended in the central Gulf Coast region, but are spreading across Florida. In areas affected by recent flooding, such as the southern Appalachians and portions of the southern Mid-Atlantic region, recovery efforts continue. On June 3, topsoil moisture was more than one-half surplus in Virginia (56%) and North Carolina (51%).
In the West, warm weather prevails, except along and near the Pacific Coast. Mostly dry weather throughout the region favors fieldwork, although an elevated risk of wildfire activity persists in the Southwest. On June 3, nearly all (94%) of Arizona’s rangeland and pastures were rated very poor to poor, along with more than two-thirds (68%) of New Mexico’s.
Hot weather will persist across much of the western and central U.S. during the next few days. During the weekend, however, markedly cooler air will arrive in California and the Northwest. Elsewhere, cool conditions will linger in the Northeast, while the remainder of the eastern U.S. will experience a late-week warming trend. Five-day rainfall totals could locally reach 1 to 3 inches across the northern half of the nation, excluding New England. In contrast, mostly dry weather will prevail from California to the Mississippi Delta. However, parts of Florida will receive locally heavy showers.
Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of warmer-than-normal weather nearly nationwide. Near-normal temperatures can be expected in the middle and southern Atlantic States, while below-normal temperatures should prevail in the Northwest. Meanwhile, near- to above-normal rainfall across the southern half of the country and the upper Midwest should contrast with drier-than-normal conditions in most of the northern U.S.