Temperature and High and Low Pressure Systems for the US

The US is experiencing a terrible drought thus far.  Corn crops throughout the country are dying.  It is a bad situation and may be indicative of the type of weather we will see in the future.  This is due to high pressure systems repeatedly driving into the Great Plains from the Gulf of California.  In an earlier post I had stated that the slowing of the Jet Stream would cause there to be intermittent warm and cold periods, as a result of increased atmospheric blocking patterns.  However, it seems that wave after wave of warm air from high pressure systems is keeping the Jet Stream to the north.  This is bringing at least moderate drought to 64% of US, second only to the Dust Bowl drought of 1934.  While the 50s still hold some records for longest concurrent days of drought and the 30s the most severe drought we are breaking records this year quickly.

Here's what the corn crop is like in Missouri right now.  Keep in mind we do not have drought resistant GMO corn.
http://www.businessinsider.com/missouri-farmer-tim-reinbott-shows-us-how-the-midwest-drought-has-ruined-his-corn-crop-2012-7#

I'm going to keep a daily record of NOAA daily weather maps on this blog post.  I'll be giving the temperature and 500 mb map.  The 500 mb chart will show where the high pressure system is located and it should generally be where the warmest temperatures are.
Here is where you can get the weather maps. http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/dailywxmap/

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