Storm Track Continues to Favor the Corn Belt Through Mid-August
As areas of showers tagged the Corn Belt this week, that will likely continue into next week while the Northern and Central Plains could see more widespread showers. Hot and dry conditions may continue across the Southern Plains and Delta.
A slow-moving cold front that has stalled out across the Midwest led to widespread rain showers in some areas earlier this week. Since Monday morning, southwest Iowa has seen 2-4 inches of rain, while the northern half of Missouri has seen pockets of 1-2.5 inches. On Thursday and Friday, the stalled front will lead to showers and storms from southern Missouri into the Ohio Valley. Another cold front will also drift into the northwest Midwest, prompting a line of showers and storms to develop in Minnesota and Wisconsin on Friday. This weekend and next week, clusters of showers and storms will continue to traverse the Midwest with some of the heavier rainfall expected across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
Most of the Northern Plains saw a break in the heat earlier this week as highs averaged closer to the 70s and 80s. Late this week into next week, temperatures will be a few degrees below average, but highs could still get into the 90s at times. Spotty rain showers are possible late this week before a larger system works into the region on Sunday. Model guidance disagrees with the coverage of Sunday’s showers and storms, but rain may mainly target the eastern Dakotas. Throughout next week, there will be almost daily chances for showers and storms throughout the Northern Plains, but rainfall amounts are uncertain as model guidance is showing vast differences in the coverage of precipitation.
While the Southern Plains have remained mostly dry and hot this week, the Central Plains have been receiving some beneficial rain. The eastern half of Nebraska and Kansas have seen showers develop through the middle of the week as a cold front stalled out. Areas near Omaha, Nebraska, saw around 1.5-3.25 inches of rain. Temperatures earlier this week cooled off behind a cold front, but through the middle of August, temperatures will waffle between above and below average for the Central Plains. The Southern Plains will continue to see highs in the 90s and 100s with only spotty showers expected. Next week’s heavier rainfall may once again favor the Central Plains, especially later in the week.
The Mississippi Delta has been struggling with overly dry conditions recently, which has taken a toll on maturing crops. On Friday, a round of widespread showers may tag Arkansas, producing locally heavy rainfall over 1-2 inches. Outside of Friday’s showers, precipitation will be lighter and more sporadic heading into next week. Most of the precipitation next week may fall just to the north of the Delta, targeting southern Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Temperatures will be near to slightly above average through the upcoming weekend and next week with highs approaching the 90s and low 100s.
Across the Southeast, daytime showers and storms have been popping up every day. Since Monday, rainfall totals have approached 1-3 inches in localized areas of northeast Alabama and Georgia. The weather pattern will remain largely unchanged going into next week with daily chances for isolated to widely scattered showers and storms. With extra cloud cover at times, near-average temperatures are forecast through mid-August, equating to highs in the 90s to near 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
An upper-air ridge moved into the West Coast earlier this week, driving temperatures above average across the Desert Southwest. High temperatures reached 100-110 degrees F in southern California. The monsoon mainly targeted New Mexico and southeast Arizona earlier this week, and it will likely continue to hit these areas through Saturday. By Sunday and Monday, a northward expansion of the monsoon is likely as it reaches into Colorado, Utah, and southern Wyoming. Monsoonal moisture will likely remain more widespread across the West for much of next week, helping to relieve some of the dryness and drought in the Central Rockies. However, wildfires in the Pacific Northwest may continue to expand as storm systems mainly slide to the north, hitting southwest Canada.
Teresa Wells can be reached at teresa.wells@dtn.com
(c) Copyright 2026 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.