Abnormal dryness ticks up across the U.S.

The February 3rd drought monitor shows 70.5% of the U.S. is experiencing abnormal dryness or drought, up 3% from the previous week, with 44.5% in D1 level drought or higher, up 1.5%. Currently 29% (unchanged) of corn acres are in D1-D4 drought with 34% (down 1%) of soybean acres, and 43% (up 1%) of winter wheat acres also impacted. For livestock, 36% (up 1%) of the U.S.cattle herd is in D1-D4 drought conditions with 28% (down 1%) of dairy cattle also in drought.

Temperatures last week were above normal in the western U.S., and lower across most of the Midwest and eastern U.S. Precipitation was spotty and saw both rain and winter mixes fall. Rain was concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, with snowfall continuing around the Great Lakes and the mid-South states of Tennessee and North Carolina. Most remaining portions of the country saw dry conditions, although snowmelt in portions of the country hit by the major winter storm in recent weeks likely helped ease soil moisture loss to some degree. Abnormally low snowpack levels continue to be a concern in the western U.S.

The National Weather Service expects the potential for rainfall to be greatest across the Mississippi Valley stretching northeast to the Ohio River Valley, forecasting the possibility for 1 to 3 inches of rain. Rainfall across the Midwest and Plains will be spottier, although localized pockets of 1 to 1.5 inches are possible.

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