Midwest Weekly Highlights - July 11-17, 2014

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Cool Weather

Temperatures were cooler than normal across the Midwest in the second week of July (Figure 1). The pattern was similar to the first ten days of the month, but even cooler. The coolest temperatures were in western Iowa where departures were as much as 7°F below normal.
 

Wide Range of Precipitation Totals

Precipitations totals ranged widely during the week. Much of the region reported below normal rainfall (Figure 2), with scattered areas with less than a tenth of an inch of rain (Figure 3), or less than 10% of normal for the period (Figure 4). Some areas however picked up substantial rains, with parts of Illinois and Kentucky topping 2". The US Drought monitor remained largely unchanged with less than 2% of the Midwest experiencing drought (Figure 5), with affected areas in both Missouri and Kentucky.
 

Agriculture

The recent weather has been beneficial in many ways for agriculture. With the cool conditions, there has been limited stress on the crops. And spells of drier weather have allowed sufficient access to fields to complete field work across the region. Corn and soybean conditions are rated at Good or Excellent in 60% or more of all nine Midwest states according to the National Agricultural Statistic Service.
 

Quiet Week for Severe Weather

It was a relatively quiet week for severe weather in the region with just a handful of 1" hail reports and several reports of wind damage (Figure 6). Severe weather was reported on only three days, the 12th to the 14th, and was primarily scattered across the southern half of the region though only Michigan and Minnesota escaped unscathed.
 

-MST-