Across the Corn Belt, cool, dry weather across the upper Midwest favors late-season planting efforts, except in areas of Minnesota and North Dakota where muddy field conditions are not conducive to supporting farm machinery.  Thursday’s high temperatures will remain below 70°F in the Red River Valley of the North, limiting evaporation rates.  Meanwhile, showers and a few thunderstorms are spreading across the eastern Corn Belt.

On the Plains, thunderstorms in Texas and Oklahoma continue to tighten the gradient between drought and excessive wetness. 

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