Across the Corn Belt, snow showers are occurring downwind of the Great Lakes. Elsewhere in the Midwest, cold, dry weather prevails. In many areas, gusty winds are resulting in dangerously low wind-chill temperatures. Actual air temperatures plunged below 0°F Friday morning throughout the upper Midwest, with some readings below -20°F in the upper Great Lakes region. Despite the recent turn toward cold weather, wheat continues to overwinter well, with more than two-thirds of the crop rated in good to excellent condition near the end of January in Illinois (69%) and Missouri (68%).
