On the Plains, winter wheat planting is underway, with one-quarter (25%) of the crop in the ground by September 12 in Nebraska, along with 16% in Colorado and South Dakota, 9% in Texas, and 5% in Kansas.

Cooler conditions continued over much of the state last week. With small amounts of precipitation across the state, many farmers were able to take full advantage of the favorable weather. Many producers are either harvesting or preparing for harvest. Other farming activities include fall tillage and planting winter wheat.

Sunny, dry weather resumes on Sunday.  A largely dry, seasonally mild spell of weather is ahead for much of next week, although scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Wednesday night and Thursday.

Across the Corn Belt, the corn harvest is underway in southern Corn Belt States such as Missouri (16% complete) and Illinois (7% complete). However, rain will be needed soon in the Ohio Valley for the upcoming winter wheat establishment season.

Above average rainfall returned to the state last week, with the vast majority of it coming in one rainfall which was heavier in the central part of the state. This led to a temporary slowdown of the early harvests, but producers were able to get back into the fields relatively quickly. Soybeans benefited most from the rainfall.

This summer was one of the warmest and wettest on record, based on preliminary data. The statewide average temperature for summer (June–August) in Illinois was 76.4 degrees, 2.7 degrees above normal and the seventh warmest summer on record, according to the Illinois State Water Survey.

Hurricane Earl will threaten the Atlantic Seaboard on September 2-3, with rain squalls and gusty winds expected along the immediate coast from North Carolina to Maine. Meanwhile, a cold front—which will ultimately help to steer Earl away from the U.S. mainland—will produce locally heavy showers from Texas into the Great Lakes States.

Very little, if any, precipitation was received last week across the state, which continued to speed the crops along in their development.

Temperatures were more moderate last week, with the statewide average temperature being below normal for the first time since early July.

It was also a very good week to put up good quality hay.

Across the Corn Belt, mild to warm, mainly dry weather favors corn and soybean maturation.

On the Plains, markedly cooler air has overspread the region following Monday’s record-setting heat. Meanwhile on the northern Plains, small grain harvest activities are resuming.

La Nina conditions have developed in the central Pacific Ocean.  La Nina is defined as the periodic cooling of sea surface temperatures in the east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean.  The current La Nina is forecast to strengthen through the fall and persist into 2011.