Though some regions have seen snowfall totals at or greater than the average pace so far this winter (while other areas have seen the drought intensify), temperatures have been relatively mild. That’s about to change. A weakened Polar Vortex around the Arctic Circle will allow a polar airmass to sag southward into Canada and the northern Plains and upper Midwest, and it will cause temperatures to plummet well below average through the weekend and into next week. Wheat farmers in the central Plains and eastern Corn Belt could feel the wrath of the cold blast, with any acres not covered by snow facing increased risk of winterkill. Though it’s moderated a bit in recent weeks, La Niña and its normal influence on general precipitation levels will continue to make that winterkill risk an issue for a lot of wheat farmers between now and spring. See more on this major weather story.