Across the Corn Belt, mostly cloudy but mild weather prevails. Dense fog developed overnight in parts of the upper Midwest, where snow remains on the ground in the wake of late-December storminess. Soil moisture shortages persist in parts of the western Corn Belt; at the end of December, USDA/NASS rated topsoil moisture at least one-half very short to short in North Dakota (71%), South Dakota (59%), and Nebraska (56%).
On the Plains, mild weather continues to benefit overwintering wheat, despite the lack of a protective snow cover.
