The August 25 drought monitor released Thursday morning shows 77.5% of the U.S. is experiencing abnormal dryness or drought, up 1.3 percentage points from the previous week, with 56.6% in D1 level drought or higher, up 3.9 percentage points. Currently 27% (down 1 percentage point) of corn acres are in D1-D4 drought with 28% (up 2 points) of soybean acres, and 80% (up 13 points) of spring wheat acres also impacted. For livestock, 58% (up 3 points) of the U.S. cattle herd is in D1-D4 drought conditions with 43% (up 1 point) of dairy cattle also in drought.
During the early part of last week, an amplified ridge-trough pattern over North America brought widespread late summer heat to the West and south-central U.S., with milder temperatures spreading over the Corn Belt and gradually shifting to the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states. The National Weather Service said the north side of the mean ridge provided a focus for convective activity, with narrow swaths of locally heavy rainfall extending across Nebraska and Missouri, while shortwave troughs brought several rounds of storms to the eastern Corn Belt and parts of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England.
The National Weather Service 7-day forecast sees upper-level ridging centered over the western U.S. progressing eastward, shifting hotter conditions to the East while bringing a potential reprieve from extreme temperatures to the West. Excessive heat will persist across the south-central U.S., which may continue to fuel rapid drought expansion and intensification. Across the Midwest, light to locally moderate precipitation is expected.
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Drought in Select Row Crop States (%)
| State | None | D0 (Abnormally Dry) | D1 (Moderate) | D2 (Severe) | D3 (Extreme) | D4 (Exceptional) |
| Arkansas | 0.00 | 15.10 | 38.08 | 33.54 | 12.29 | 0.99 |
| Colorado | 4.06 | 5.60 | 11.46 | 31.35 | 33.84 | 13.68 |
| Iowa | 69.48 | 10.88 | 19.15 | 0.49 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Illinois | 95.58 | 4.42 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Indiana | 100.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Kansas | 30.16 | 23.88 | 23.15 | 22.80 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Kentucky | 99.93 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Michigan | 43.66 | 45.15 | 7.32 | 3.44 | 0.43 | 0.00 |
| Minnesota | 4.71 | 16.95 | 30.26 | 44.58 | 3.50 | 0.00 |
| Montana | 7.48 | 36.91 | 38.12 | 13.10 | 4.40 | 0.00 |
| North Dakota | 3.39 | 10.94 | 41.97 | 37.43 | 6.27 | 0.00 |
| Nebraska | 17.30 | 15.27 | 21.92 | 32.85 | 11.00 | 1.65 |
| Ohio | 100.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| South Dakota | 11.26 | 14.98 | 35.04 | 27.05 | 11.67 | 0.00 |
| Tennessee | 81.04 | 18.05 | 0.91 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Texas | 9.94 | 32.71 | 35.22 | 11.69 | 7.96 | 2.49 |
| Wisconsin | 6.31 | 23.29 | 27.61 | 27.86 | 14.94 | 0.00 |