Across the Corn Belt, dry weather accompanies a warming trend, hastening summer crop maturation. High temperatures Friday will range from near 75°F in Michigan to 90°F or higher in parts of the western Corn Belt. Despite recent rainfall, serious soil moisture deficiencies persist in drought-affected areas of the upper Midwest; on September 5, for example, topsoil moisture in South Dakota was rated 66% very short to short.
On the Plains, a late-season heat wave is peaking.
