According to the Weather and Crop Bulletin report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), heavy rain shifted into the eastern U.S., where weekly totals of 2 to 4 inches or more were common. Rain was mostly beneficial in drought-affected sections of the Northeast, although excessive rain in parts of the mid- Atlantic and southern New England sparked local flooding. The Eastern rain also limited fieldwork. Meanwhile, somewhat drier weather in the lower Mississippi Valley favored a gradual return to fieldwork. Still, some crop-quality concerns persisted in the central Gulf Coast States, as mature (or nearly mature) crops languished in still-soggy fields.
Farther north, variable rainfall across the Plains and Midwest arrived too late to benefit most summer crops but locally boosted soil moisture in advance of the winter wheat establishment season. Even with the showers, parts of the northern and central Plains remained extremely dry.
For the full USDA report for Sept. 13, click here.