Shift in Weather Spells Mild September Temperatures

After unrelenting heat in late summer comes a comparatively cold weather pattern across most of the Great Plains and Corn Belt. The up-to-25-degree temperature drop will remain for the second week of September, with another front moving into the Plains region over the coming weekend. As with ongoing dry conditions, mild temperatures are expected for the remainder of the month.

Despite the mix of weather spelling a good recipe for precipitation, models aren’t predicting too much rainfall in more than just a few lucky areas. Not all areas with precipitation will feel lucky, as Tropical Storm Lee is forecast to become a hurricane as it moves toward the U.S.

But what’s the driving force behind the unexpected shift in weather? Weaker bands of thunderstorms that circumnavigate the tropics have stalled near the Indian Ocean, leading to a much more muted effect on other global weather patterns. Additionally, El Niño has a firm grasp on the eastern Pacific Ocean, likely causing some of the weakness in the system. Forecasts are eyeing periods of good rainfall in the second week of September for producers in the Central and Southern Plains, but it is not guaranteed.

Read more on weather patterns here.