Midwest Overview - August 2015

---

Cool Temperatures

August temperatures were slightly below normal in the region. Temperatures ranged from about normal near the Great Lakes to 2-3°F below normal in the southwestern parts of the Midwest (Figure 1). Statewide August temperatures ranked among the coolest 40 years of the 120-year record in the six central and southern states and fell closer to average for the northern states. Combined with moderate June and July temperatures, the cool August temperatures brought summer temperatures just below normal across the middle of the region with near normal readings across the southern portions and most of the northern portions of the Midwest (Figure 2). Statewide summer temperatures were below normal in all nine states. Very warm summer days were less plentiful than the average year across the Midwest with fewer 90°F and 95°F days than usual. In many Midwestern cities the number of such days was then than half of the average total for the summer (Figure 3).
 

Rains Ease in August, but Summer Totals Rank Among the Wettest

After wet conditions in June and July for much of the Midwest, August totals dropped to below normal for most of the region (Figure 4). Well above normal conditions were mostly located in the western third of the region. Areas receiving twice the normal August total of rainfall were located in northwest Iowa and southwest Missouri, where totals topped 8 inches, while areas with less than half of normal in August were located in northwest Minnesota, northern Missouri, west central Indiana, and eastern Ohio. Summer rainfall, which topped 20 inches in parts of several states (Figure 5), for the Midwest as a whole ranked as the 4th wettest on record. Statewide summer precipitation ranked among the 10 wettest years in Kentucky (2nd), Indiana (3rd), Missouri (5th), Illinois (6th), Iowa (7th), and Ohio (8th).
 

Heavy Rains, Flooding, and Ponding in Fields Take a Toll on Crop Conditions

Crop conditions in the Midwest were impacted by the early summer heavy rains, flooding, and ponding in fields. Conditions were better in the northern states where summer rainfall totals were lower. Roughly 20% of the corn (Figure 6) and soybean (Figure 7) crops were in very poor or poor condition in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Only about 50% of the crops were in good or excellent condition in those states.
 

Severe Weather

Severe weather, including tornadoes, large hail, and high winds, were spread across the Midwest in August (Figure 8). Reports came in on 25 of 31 days, though some days only had a handful of reports in the region. The six days with no severe weather reports all came on or after the 20th of the month as the number of reports dropped off in the last couple weeks of August. The busiest days were August 2-3 and August 18. More details on the severe weather are available in the weekly reports.
 

-MST-
The Iowa Climatology Bureau also contributed to this report.
The Minnesota State Climatology Office also contributed to this report.
The Missouri Climate Center also contributed to this report.