Crop Conditions
July proved to be a scorcher in the West, but the weather story flipped to start August, with much of the eastern half of the country enjoying cooler and dryer air during the first few days of the month.
The shortest La Nina in almost a decade has ended, just three months after it began.
With cold temperatures lingering longer than many farmers prefer, you might wonder just how late a freeze could hit. Historically, the Corn Belt has seen some, but not many, freezes after June 1.
Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and other organizations have shown that human influences significantly impact the size of the seasonal cycle of temperature in the lowest layer of the atmosphere.
Conditions across the U.S. soybean growing regions are somewhat variable, but the 2018 crop is in good condition overall.