This national agricultural weather briefing focuses on major U.S. production regions. It provides a broad synthesis suitable for farm and supply-chain planning. Local conditions can vary significantly over short distances, especially around fronts and coastal zones. For field-level decisions, always check your local National Weather Service office or state mesonet.

Last 24 Hours: National Ag-Weather Snapshot

Note: This overview is provided without live station feeds and is intended as a general operational snapshot typical of late September. Verify exact precipitation, temperatures, and wind at your local mesonet.

• Corn Belt and Upper Midwest: Predominantly dry to partly cloudy intervals favored harvest and small grain planting progress, with cool mornings and seasonable afternoons. Patchy dawn fog likely near rivers and low-lying fields.
• Central and Northern Plains: Mostly dry with a weak disturbance or two passing to the north; variable breezes. Early winter wheat seeding windows generally open outside of localized showers.
• Southern Plains and Texas: Mixed sun and clouds with isolated showers or thunderstorms in spots; many areas remained workable between cells. Humidity remained seasonally elevated along the Gulf coastal plain.
• Delta and Lower Mississippi Valley: Intermittent showers in places, but also several dry multi-hour windows aiding cotton, rice, and soybean fieldwork.
• Southeast and Coastal Plain: Typical warm-season pattern with scattered afternoon convection near the coast and inland sea-breeze boundaries; interior zones saw larger dry breaks.
• Mid-Atlantic and Northeast: Mostly dry to partly cloudy with pockets of light showers in windward terrain; cool nights aided fruit quality and vine stress management where dry.
• Pacific Northwest: Light, fast-moving disturbances in the maritime belt; interior basins mostly dry with cool starts. Orchard operations continued with minimal weather interruption outside higher terrain.
• California: Predominantly dry statewide; coastal marine layer influenced morning clouds near the shore, with sunny inland fields.
• Southwest/Desert Southwest: Late-season monsoon activity generally waning; most ag areas dry with large diurnal temperature swings.
• Northern Rockies/High Elevations: Spotty light mountain precipitation possible; valleys mainly dry with cool dawns.

Seven-Day U.S. Agricultural Weather Outlook

Overview: A typical early-autumn pattern favors one or two cold fronts sweeping from the northern Rockies/Plains into the Midwest and East, interspersed with dry, high-pressure intervals. The West remains largely dry outside the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. Confidence is moderate for timing and low to moderate for precipitation coverage at the county level.

Pacific Northwest (wheat, apples, hops, seed crops)

• Temperature/Precipitation: Alternating weak Pacific disturbances favor light, periodic showers west of the Cascades and along windward slopes; interior Columbia Basin largely on the dry side. Cool mornings with seasonable afternoons; a couple of crisp nights in interior valleys.
• Field Impacts: Short, manageable wet periods in western zones; ample harvest/handling windows elsewhere. Watch for dew and brief leaf wetness in mornings.
• Risks to Monitor: Fog near rivers at daybreak; minor delays where light showers occur; isolated early-frost pockets in high-elevation valleys late in the week if skies clear and winds go light.

California (specialty crops, rice, nuts, cotton, produce)

• Temperature/Precipitation: Predominantly dry statewide. Coastal marine layers some mornings; inland valleys warm, with a modest midweek cool-down possible before a late-week warmup.
• Field Impacts: Excellent harvest and drying conditions. Continue dust management and irrigation scheduling as evapotranspiration remains moderate.
• Risks to Monitor: Periodic offshore flow can briefly elevate fire weather in coastal ranges and foothills; monitor local Red Flag guidance.

Southwest/Desert Southwest (vegetables, citrus, forage)

• Temperature/Precipitation: Largely dry; only isolated, terrain-driven showers over higher mountains early in the period. Warm afternoons and cooler nights with wide diurnal swings.
• Field Impacts: Stable harvest windows; irrigation demand moderates slightly with cooler nights.
• Risks to Monitor: Localized blowing dust in windy corridors; brief downpours in higher terrain if a stray storm develops.

Northern Rockies and High Plains (pulse crops, sugar beets, small grains, cattle)

• Temperature/Precipitation: One or two weak to moderate fronts bring scattered, mainly light showers and a couple of breezy days. Temperatures trend near to slightly below seasonal norms after frontal passages.
• Field Impacts: Short interruptions to beet lifting and late small-grain operations where showers pass; otherwise good progress. Cooler nights support livestock comfort.
• Risks to Monitor: First patchy frost in colder valleys late in the week under clear skies and light winds.

Central and Northern Plains (corn/soy harvest, winter wheat planting)

• Temperature/Precipitation: Mostly dry for extended stretches with a front midweek or late week bringing scattered showers/storms to portions of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas. Cooler behind fronts, seasonable to warm ahead.
• Field Impacts: Broad harvest windows; brief, localized delays around frontal showers. Good soil surface conditions for wheat planting with intermittent moisture chances.
• Risks to Monitor: Elevated fire danger on breezy, dry days in cured rangeland; isolated lodging risk in stronger pre-frontal gusts.

Southern Plains and Texas (cotton, sorghum, wheat establishment)

• Temperature/Precipitation: Mixed pattern with widely scattered showers/storms possible mid-to-late week, especially east and along the Gulf plain; drier in far west Texas and the Panhandle much of the time.
• Field Impacts: Intermittent delays in cotton harvest where showers occur; otherwise decent windows. Moisture episodes beneficial for wheat germination where recent rainfall has been limited.
• Risks to Monitor: Heat stress low to moderate; brief heavy downpours could cause localized field access issues in heavier soils.

Corn Belt and Upper Midwest (corn/soy harvest, cover crop seeding)

• Temperature/Precipitation: Predominantly dry early and late in the week with a frontal passage bringing scattered showers for 6–18 hours in many locales mid-to-late week. Temperatures fluctuate: warm ahead of the front, cooler and drier behind.
• Field Impacts: Overall favorable harvest pace; corn dry-down aided by lower humidity behind fronts. Brief wetting could slow soy cutting for a day in spots.
• Risks to Monitor: Patchy dense fog at daybreak in drainage areas; low-end frost risk confined to far northern interiors if skies clear late week.

Delta and Lower Mississippi Valley (cotton, rice, soybeans)

• Temperature/Precipitation: Warm, humid stretches with periodic showers or storms, especially near and ahead of a midweek front; drier spells bookending the period.
• Field Impacts: Cotton harvest windows best late morning to mid-afternoon on drier days; rice harvest progress variable with passing showers.
• Risks to Monitor: Short-lived heavy rain possible beneath slow-moving cells; lint quality concerns rise with repeated wetting—plan defoliation/harvest between rain cycles.

Southeast and Coastal Plain (cotton, peanuts, hay, specialty crops)

• Temperature/Precipitation: Seasonably warm with daily, scattered afternoon showers and storms near the coast and along sea-breeze/terrain boundaries; interior Piedmont trends somewhat drier between midweek and late week.
• Field Impacts: Frequent but brief convective interruptions near the coast; inland areas see multiple workable days.
• Risks to Monitor: Atlantic tropical season remains active; maintain situational awareness for any Gulf/Atlantic disturbances that could alter late-week plans.

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast (dairy, corn silage/grain, orchards, vineyards)

• Temperature/Precipitation: A front midweek or late week brings a band of showers; otherwise, many dry, cool nights and mild afternoons.
• Field Impacts: Good fruit quality support with cool nights and controlled moisture; brief spray and harvest delays near frontal showers.
• Risks to Monitor: Valley fog at daybreak; isolated early-season frost in cold hollows toward the end of the period under clear, calm conditions.

Operational Planning Highlights

• Harvest Windows: Widespread workable periods across the Plains, Midwest, interior West, and much of the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast. Plan to leverage post-frontal, low-humidity air for grain dry-down.
• Wheat Establishment: Central and Southern Plains benefit from occasional light moisture; time planting to follow light rains where feasible for better emergence.
• Irrigation: Demand easing slightly in the West and Southwest with cooler nights; continue deficit irrigation strategies for specialty crops in California under persistent dryness.
• Disease/Pest Pressure: Short morning leaf wetness windows in many regions limit foliar disease spread; pressure increases temporarily in humid Delta/Southeast intervals. Adjust fungicide timing to precede multi-day humid stretches.
• Livestock: Comfortable temperature ranges for most feedlots and pastures, though monitor heat load in the Gulf Coast and South Texas during warmer afternoons; provide windbreaks for calves where late-week morning chills develop in the northern tier.
• Fire Weather: Watch for elevated fire danger on breezy, dry days in California’s foothills and Great Basin and across cured rangelands of the Plains; adhere to local burn restrictions.
• Tropical Awareness: The Atlantic basin remains in peak season. Even distant systems can tighten pressure gradients, increasing coastal winds and surf; track official advisories if operating near the Gulf/Atlantic.

Day-by-Day National Trend (Guidance-Level, Timing May Vary by Region)

• Days 1–2: Many western and central areas dry; light showers clip the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. Warm ahead of a developing front on the northern Plains/Midwest; cool nights persist in interior West and Northeast valleys.
• Days 3–4: Front advances into the Midwest and East with a band of scattered showers/storms; drier, cooler air follows across the Plains and Upper Midwest. Gulf Coast and Southeast see typical afternoon convection.
• Days 5–7: High pressure yields broad dry windows central U.S.; next weak Pacific impulse targets the Northwest/northern Rockies. East moderates after a cool start with mainly dry weather outside coastal shower belts.

What to Watch Next

• First frost/freeze pockets in northern interiors under clear, calm conditions late in the period.
• Any uptick in offshore winds in California and the Great Basin that would elevate fire weather and reduce humidity.
• Atlantic/Gulf tropical signals that could shift late-week precipitation risks for the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
• Short, gusty pre-frontal wind events in the Plains and Midwest that could promote rapid drying but also increase lodging risk in vulnerable fields.

For precise, field-level planning, consult your local NWS forecast, county extension, and state mesonet dashboards for radar, hourly observations, and advisories.