Late Summer Heat Offers a Mixed Bag for Farmers

The hotter-than-typical mid-September weather is helping pushing crops toward maturity, but with a trade-off of depleted soil moisture. The mixed bag is good for drying down crops, yet adds more concern for drought-stricken areas. The first week of September was the driest on record in more than 30 years and this week is expected to be the fourth-hottest mid-September week on record. A look at the September forecast provides optimism in some drought areas, such as the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, to include late-summer precipitation. Read more on drought conditions here.