Weather report: Light rain stretches across the central Plains

In the West, scattered rain and snow showers are occurring along and northwest of a line from California to Idaho. Meanwhile, mild, dry weather prevails in the Southwest.

On the Plains, generally light rain is providing limited drought relief in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and northern Texas. Meanwhile, mild, dry weather persists on the northern Plains, although cooler air is beginning to arrive in Montana.

In the Corn Belt, light rain is spreading across the southern tier of the region, including Missouri and southern portions of Illinois and Indiana. Mild weather continues to melt or eliminate snow cover. Current snow depths in the upper Midwest include 3 inches at both Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Des Moines, Iowa.

In the South, heavy showers and locally severe thunderstorms are rolling across the lower Mississippi Valley, where some flooding is underway. Heavy rain has ended across Texas, while warm, dry weather favors fieldwork—including Florida’s citrus and sugarcane harvests—in the southern Atlantic region.

Outlook: A storm system that has been affecting the south-central U.S. will weaken by Friday while lifting northeastward into the Great Lakes and Northeastern States. Meanwhile, a developing storm in the West will emerge from the central Rockies on Friday. As a result, late-week snow will develop across the northern Plains and far upper Midwest, while high winds will rake southern portions of the Rockies and Plains. During the weekend, additional heavy rain will fall in parts of the western and central Gulf Coast States. Weekend rain will also soak the eastern Corn Belt. Sharply colder air will trail the Western storm, encompassing all areas from the Mississippi River westward by Sunday. By January 13-14, widespread readings below -10°F can be expected on the northern Plains. The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook for January 15-19 calls for near- to below-normal temperatures nationwide, except for warmer-than-normal weather in the southern Atlantic region. Meanwhile, above-normal precipitation across much of the South and East, as well as the north-central U.S., will contrast with drier-than-normal conditions in the West and the central and southern Plains.

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