In the Corn Belt, warm, mostly dry weather favors corn and soybean development, although some immature crops would still benefit from a boost in soil moisture. On August 21, Nebraska led the Corn Belt with topsoil moisture rated 79% very short to short, followed by South Dakota (57%), Iowa (48%), and Missouri (43%). Early Wednesday, isolated showers are overspreading the upper Midwest.
On the Plains, isolated showers in Montana and the Dakotas are causing only minor harvest delays. Warm, dry weather prevails across the central Plains, while some cloudiness lingers across the southern Plains. As the growing season starts to wind down, cotton and sorghum are among the crops across the central and southern Plains most severely affected by drought. On August 21, U.S.
