Temperatures in general fell a bit short of my expectations yesterday in the Midwest, but make no mistake that it was a hot one with highs most everywhere reaching 95 or higher a few spots making 100 degrees. Rockford, IL had not made it to 100 degrees for 22 years...then reached the 100 degree mark on each of the past two days.

 There is still going to be a lot of heat for today and tomorrow in southern and eastern parts of the Midwest (95-100+ for highs), and by Saturday the entire Midwest is again in the 90s. The coolest days coming up still look to be for Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures should be fairly close to normal. After that, more heat will build in again that will last through the end of the month.

By no later than next Thursday, 90s will again be common across the Midwest and a lot of locations will reach 95 or higher again for the final days of this month. Everybody in the Midwest wants rain (some need it worse than others); some will get good rains near term, and others will not.

Already overnight we have seen some very nice rains be reported in a narrow strip from eastern Nebraska eastward into western Iowa. That is one of my favored areas for additional good rains near term, as would far northeastern parts of the Midwest (i.e. central Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio). My most disfavored area for good rains near term is going to be Kansas, Missouri, and southwestern Illinois. For the rest of the Midwest, it is going to be a hit and miss affair, with areas getting very nice rains being near areas that do not get much at all.

Anyone missing the rain threat from now through Monday is really going to see severe crop stress continue as temperatures again heat up again for the final four to five days of this month across the region.