Windy, Warm Weather Ahead as Long-term Dryness Concerns Abound

Warm temperatures and high winds in the western U.S. are fueling fire dangers in a few areas, and though southern winds blowing into the Midwest from the Gulf will sustain warm, dry conditions in that region, there are a few snowfall chances in the northern Plains in the long-term ag weather outlook for the next week or so. Those warm, dry conditions in the West are fueling concerns as winter nears that the jet stream could take up a position that prevents much moisture in the driest, most fire-prone areas, whereas a return to a more subtropical jet stream would otherwise relieve dryness concerns in the southwest. La Nina setting up over the northern hemisphere will bring moisture to the northern Plains, with the potential for snowfall in Montana and the northern Plains early next week. Meanwhile, thunderstorm activity and a building frontal boundary by mid-week next week could deliver snowfall to the central Plains and Midwest. For farmers, the forecast means an open weather window for harvest activity and fall fieldwork in much of the nation’s central third for the next few days. See how the weather’s likely to unfold in your area.