Rains bring relief to the eastern corn belt

The March 10^th drought monitor shows 76.7% of the U.S. is experiencing abnormal dryness or drought, down .3% from the previous week, with 54% in D1 level drought or higher, down .8%. Currently 46% (down 5%) of corn acres are in D1-D4 drought with 47% (down 6%) of soybean acres, and 55% (down 1%) of winter wheat acres also impacted. For livestock, 54% (down 3%) of the U.S.cattle herd is in D1-D4 drought conditions with 36% (down 2%) of dairy cattle also in drought.

Widespread rains across the Midwest, mostly concentrated in the eastern corn belt states, brought drought relief to the region. Localized areas in the region received 2 inches of rainfall over the past week. The improvement to drought conditions comes at an optimal time of year as planting quickly approaches. Relief was spottier in the western corn belt and Plains states. Small portions of Kansas and Nebraska received over an inch of rain, prompting improvements in the drought monitor rating. Drought expanded in portions of Colorado despite the light snow that fell this week in the central to western parts of the state.

The National Weather Service expects temperatures to dip significantly this weekend as a cold front moves from the Plains towards the eastern U.S, with the front potentially driving temperatures below freezing as far south as Oklahoma. Drier weather is expected to return to the Ohio and Lower Mississippi Valleys over the next week, with the five-day forecast expecting the heaviest precipitation to be focused further north around the Great Lakes.

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