Prevailing climatic conditions during 1996 - May through October
The 11-month drought in New Mexico and western Texas eased
with the rains in late June while elsewhere across the southern Plains and the Southwest
further intensified. On the other hand, crop development accelerated across the Midwest in
response to the near-normal temperature in August. However, much drier weather prevailed
across the eastern half of the Corn Belt. The rainfall was less than normal across the
northern High Plains and northern Rockies. Windy conditions combined with hot, dry
weather, and lightning strikes left the west vulnerable to wild fires. In the Southeast,
wet conditions and high winds damaged cotton fields that had open bolls.
