Drought area mildly shrinks
As of July 12, 69% of the U.S. was experiencing abnormal dryness/drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, down one percentage point from the previous week, though still 12 points higher than this year’s low in mid-June. This week’s Drought Monitor commentary notes, “An active weather pattern over much of the Midwest and Southeast brought with it ample rain over many areas, with some places recording more than 5 inches for the week. Dry conditions were noted in the Northeast, West, and southern Plains where flash drought conditions were impacting vast portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and into the lower Mississippi River valley. Monsoonal moisture continued to be spotty over much of Arizona and New Mexico, reaching into portions of west Texas as well as southern Colorado and Utah. Temperatures were near normal to slightly above over most of the U.S., with cooler-than-normal temperatures over portions of the West, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic and above-normal temperatures over most of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and southern Missouri.”
Across the Corn Belt, dryness/drought covers 53% of Illinois (down 15 points), 79% of Indiana (down 15 points), 45% of Iowa (down 5 points), 60% of Kansas (up 4 points), 40% of Michigan (unchanged), 11% of Minnesota (down 6 points), 63% of Missouri (down 1 point), 87% of Nebraska (unchanged), 0% of North Dakota (unchanged), 20% of Ohio (down 16 points), 54% of South Dakota (up 2 points) and 35% of Wisconsin (down 8 points).
USDA estimates the drought footprint at 30% for corn (up 1 point from last week), 25% for soybeans (up 3 points), 17% for spring wheat (down 2 points) and 71% for cotton (up 3 points).
