Is another heat wave in the offing for the Midwest?

With close to a third of the country’s crops at imminent risk, yet another heat wave may be on the way! The National Weather Service stresses, however, that this one may not be as prolonged as a ‘backdoor cold front’ may make its way into the are by late in the week (perhaps July 21 or 22). They admonish that even should the front arrive, it may not make much of a difference as temperatures are expected to soar well above the century mark as early as Wednesday, July the 18^th. In addition, they are warning that the overall National drought is worsening!

At this time, rainfall has been sporadic at best and farmers are praying for a change in the current regime. Hardest hit are corn, soybean and cereal crops. "To see something on this continental scale, where we're seeing such a large portion of the country in drought, you have to go back to 1988," said Brad Rippey, a USDA agricultural meteorologist. A fact that will surely not bode well for wholesale prices later in the season.