The late-January pattern continues to favor active storm tracks across the northern tier and the West, periodic cold shots east of the Rockies, and Gulf moisture intrusions that bring rain to the Mid-South and Southeast. For producers, the next week features alternating fieldwork windows and weather-driven slowdowns, with particular attention to freeze risks for specialty crops, rangeland stress during cold snaps, and muddy feedlot conditions where rain or snow accumulates.

Last 24 hours: regional highlights and agricultural relevance

Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies

  • Frequent showers over windward slopes and valleys; higher terrain receiving light to moderate snow. Wet soils in lowlands, fresh snowpack building in the mountains.
  • Breezy to gusty intervals along gaps and passes, occasionally slowing transport of commodities and raising livestock chill concerns at exposed sites.
  • Rivers and streams running seasonally elevated where repeated showers occurred; no widespread flooding signals, but saturated fields remain vulnerable to rutting.

California (Central Valley, coastal ranges, and Sierra foothills)

  • Patchy valley fog and low stratus, especially in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys, limiting morning visibility and delaying spray/harvest windows.
  • Light precipitation at times near the coast and coastal ranges; mountain areas favored for snow showers. Orchard floors remain soft in spots.
  • Overnight cool conditions in interior valleys; localized frost pockets in wind-sheltered areas.

Southwest deserts (Imperial Valley, Yuma, lower Colorado River, southern New Mexico)

  • Mostly dry with large day–night temperature swings. Chilly pre-dawn lows in wind-sheltered fields maintaining occasional frost risk for tender vegetables.
  • Light breezes; isolated areas experienced patchy blowing dust where soils are bare and dry.

Northern Plains (MT, ND, SD, northern WY)

  • Periodic light snow and flurries with brisk winds in open country. Minor drifting in exposed areas; livestock cold stress elevated during windier periods.
  • Topsoil conditions largely frozen; travel and logistics occasionally slowed by reduced visibility in snow showers.

Central and Southern Plains (NE, KS, CO High Plains, OK, TX Panhandle)

  • Mixed precipitation experience across the region: light rain or snow in spots with a passing disturbance, otherwise dry intervals supporting limited fieldwork.
  • Gusty north to northwest winds behind frontal passages; blowing dust locally where fields are bare and dry.
  • Wheat remains vulnerable to freeze-thaw heaving where snow cover is thin or absent.

Midwest/Corn Belt (MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH)

  • Scattered light snow or wintry mix near frontal boundaries, with rain more likely in the southern tier. Slushy to slick secondary roads where bursts of snow occurred.
  • Temperatures trending seasonable to cool; frozen ground limits infiltration, but brief thaws created patchy mud in southern zones.

Delta and Mid-South (AR, LA, MS, western TN)

  • Showers in places, locally moderate, with cloud cover keeping diurnal ranges modest. Field access variable; low-lying fields prone to ponding where showers were heavier.
  • Humidity elevated, limiting drying for outdoor curing and late-season field maintenance.

Southeast (AL, GA, Carolinas, FL Peninsula)

  • Areas of light to moderate rain along and ahead of a weak front; drier pockets in Florida with patchy morning fog.
  • Interior overnight lows cool enough for patchy frost in sheltered locations away from the coast; citrus and winter vegetables monitored for cold spots.

Northeast and Great Lakes (NY, PA, New England)

  • Lake-effect snow showers downwind of the lakes with light accumulations; inland, intermittent light snow or flurries.
  • Cold, breezy conditions elevated livestock energy needs; snow cover variable but adequate for winter wheat protection in some lake belts.

Seven-day U.S. agriculture weather outlook

National pattern at a glance

  • West: A series of Pacific disturbances favors additional rain along the coast and mountain snow, strongest over the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies early to mid-period, with a chance of a more southern-reaching system late period affecting California.
  • Northern tier: Intermittent clipper-type systems bring rounds of light snow and reinforcing cool air. Windy intervals in the High Plains and Upper Midwest.
  • Central/Eastern U.S.: One to two frontal passages likely. The first wave brings showers to the Mid-South and Southeast and light wintry mix north; a second late-period system could consolidate along the Gulf/Atlantic coast with a broader precipitation shield.
  • Temperature: Near- to below-normal across the northern tier, near- to above-normal over parts of the Southwest and southern tier; brief hard freezes possible inland Southeast on clear nights.

Day-by-day hazard timeline

  • Days 1–2: Pacific Northwest wet and unsettled; Northern Rockies snow. Breezy High Plains. Scattered light snow Upper Midwest/Great Lakes; showers redevelop Gulf Coast to Southeast.
  • Days 3–4: Short-lived break West Coast except far Northwest; interior West cold mornings. A frontal wave spreads rain across the Delta/Tennessee Valley; mix or light snow north of the Ohio River. Gusty post-frontal winds on the Plains.
  • Days 5–6: Potential coastal or near-coastal low from the Southeast up the Eastern Seaboard; confidence on exact track is moderate. Rain for the Southeast/Mid-Atlantic, wintry mix possible inland. Plains/Midwest turn colder with light snow bands.
  • Day 7: Another Pacific impulse may reach California with rain north and central coast and Sierra snow; gradual moderation over the central U.S. after the coldest mornings.

Regional outlooks and farm impacts

Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies

  • Precipitation: Frequent showers; mountain snow adding meaningfully to snowpack. Short dry breaks limited.
  • Temperatures: Cool to seasonably cold; freezing levels fluctuating with pulses.
  • Impacts: Continued erosion of fieldwork windows; monitor lowland flooding in poor-drainage fields. Livestock require shelter during windy, wet periods.

California

  • Precipitation: Mostly light and episodic early; growing chance for a broader system late period, especially north/central coast and Sierra.
  • Temperatures: Cool mornings with localized frost in interior valleys on clear nights.
  • Impacts: Fog slows morning operations in the Central Valley; frost protection for sensitive nursery/vegetable crops on radiational nights. Orchard floor management favored during midweek lulls.

Southwest deserts

  • Precipitation: Predominantly dry.
  • Temperatures: Mild afternoons; chilly nights with periodic frost in low-lying fields.
  • Impacts: Favorable harvest and fieldwork windows; continue frost mitigation for leafy greens and tender vegetables.

Northern Plains

  • Precipitation: Light snow events every 1–3 days; accumulations generally modest but locally higher in bands.
  • Temperatures: Below-normal cold snaps with wind chills during clipper passages.
  • Impacts: Elevated livestock energy demand; monitor water sources for icing. Transport disruptions possible during brief whiteouts.

Central and Southern Plains

  • Precipitation: Spotty light precip with fronts; better chances east (OK/KS into MO) than far west. Late-period light snow possible in the central High Plains.
  • Temperatures: Variable; brief warm-ups followed by colder shots. Hard-freeze risk returns to western OK/TX Panhandle during the coldest mornings.
  • Impacts: Winter wheat mostly dormant; assess for desiccation and wind injury where snow cover is absent. Blowing dust risk on windy, dry days.

Midwest/Corn Belt

  • Precipitation: Several light events; southern belt skewed to rain/mix, northern belt to snow.
  • Temperatures: Near to below normal north; near normal south with brief cold shots.
  • Impacts: Periodic slick travel; limited but usable maintenance windows between systems. Snow cover benefits winter wheat in northern fringes.

Delta and Mid-South

  • Precipitation: Multiple rounds of showers; locally moderate rainfall totals through the week.
  • Temperatures: Mild early, trending cooler behind fronts.
  • Impacts: Field access frequently limited; manage drainage and ruts. Grain handling may require humidity controls.

Southeast

  • Precipitation: Showers and a few thunderstorms in waves; drier, cooler interludes behind fronts.
  • Temperatures: Fluctuating; inland frost/freeze possible on the clearest post-frontal nights.
  • Impacts: Citrus and winter vegetables: monitor for radiational freezes in interior zones; cover or irrigate as needed. Disease pressure elevated for small fruits and winter greens in wetter stretches.

Northeast and Great Lakes

  • Precipitation: Periodic lake-effect/enhanced snow; potential broader wintry mix or snow with any coastal low late period.
  • Temperatures: Generally cold; reinforcing shots maintain frozen ground.
  • Impacts: Manage livestock exposure during windy, snowy periods. Maple equipment prep can proceed during brief fair spells.

Operational guidance and risk management

  • Freeze management: Prepare for radiational hard-freeze setups in interior Southeast and Southwest valleys on clear, calm nights; verify irrigation and wind machines where applicable.
  • Livestock: Plan windbreaks and energy supplementation ahead of clipper passages in the Plains and Upper Midwest; check waterers for icing.
  • Field access: Use midweek lulls in the Midwest and California valleys for maintenance and fertilizer staging; avoid compaction in saturated Delta and Northwest lowlands.
  • Disease/pest: Elevated foliar disease risk in the Southeast and Delta during humid, showery stretches; consider tightening spray timing around foggy mornings and short drying windows.
  • Soil conservation: Expect intervals of strong winds in the High Plains; maintain residue cover and wind erosion protections on bare fields.

Watch list: next 7 days

  • Heavy rain potential: Localized 2–3 day rainfall pockets possible in the Lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast with successive waves; monitor small-stream responses and field ponding.
  • Snow and ice: Repeated light snows across the northern tier; late-period wintry mix risk inland Northeast depending on coastal low track.
  • High winds: Plains and Upper Midwest during frontal passages; blowing dust where soils are dry and bare.
  • Fog: Central Valley of California and interior Southeast mornings, causing visibility reductions and delaying field starts.
  • Freeze: Interior Southeast, Southwest valleys, and portions of the Southern Plains during the coldest post-frontal dawns.

Conditions and impacts vary widely over short distances. For field-level decisions, consult your local National Weather Service office or trusted ag-meteorology provider for pinpoint forecasts and advisories.