The core of the Corn Belt is forecast to see above normal temperatures and below normal rain next week, and it could hit as the crop is in prime pollination.

The extreme heat in June that blanketed the Mid-South and South pushed some of the U.S. corn crop to mature quickly. The ridge that created the heat didn't disappear. Instead, it's been shifting over the past month. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey has been watching the ridge of high pressure since June, not only to see where it shifts, but also its intensity.

“As you remember, 50% of U.S. corn was planted in a two-week period in May, and almost two-thirds of the corn was planted in a three-week period," says Rippey. "So, a lot of that corn went in all at once, especially in the Midwest."