As of May 14, the Drought Monitor showed 31% of the U.S. was covered by abnormal dryness/drought, down four percentage points from the previous week. USDA estimated 25% of U.S. winter wheat areas were covered by drought, down three points from the previous week. Drought covered 12% of corn production areas and 9% for soybeans, down two points each from last week. Dryness/drought still covers 47% of Iowa, though that’s down in size and intensity from earlier this spring due to recent rains.
In HRW areas, dryness/drought covered 78% of Kansas, 40% of Colorado, 33% of Oklahoma, 49% of Texas, 25% of Nebraska, 8% of South Dakota and 61% of Montana.
In SRW areas, dryness/drought covered 18% of Missouri, 3% of Illinois, 0% of Indiana, 0% of Ohio, 18% of Michigan (nearly all in the Upper Peninsula), 5% of Kentucky and 16% of Tennessee.
The Seasonal Drought Outlook calls for drought to develop or persist over the southwestern Plains, including the western halves of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, along with southeastern Colorado through August. Improvement or removal of drought conditions is expected in central and northeastern Iowa and some of southeastern Nebraska.