Warm, dry conditions prevailed in northern and western areas of the Midwest the week ending June 15, resulting in the “widespread worsening of drought and dryness,” according to today’s National Drought Monitor.
Iowa saw a 19-point jump in the are covered by moderate (D1) to severe (D2) drought, with 76% of the state now impacted by these conditions. “In this general region [the Midwest], many crops are struggling due to the ongoing severe and extreme drought,” today’s update notes.
On the other hand, rain helped kept drought/dryness from encroaching in northern areas of Wisconsin, the Michigan Upper Peninsula, and the Ohio River Valley.
On the High Plains, precipitation varied widely over the past week, though temperatures were consistently warm. Today’s update says, “A few areas in the western half of North Dakota received enough rain from several thunderstorm events to improve their drought status, though this primarily occurred in areas with very heavy rain amounts (some locales received over 5 inches). For the most part, while welcome, the heavy rains have come after months of warm and dry conditions, and the widespread severe, extreme, and exceptional drought has been slow to improve as impacts to plants and livestock continue. In north-central and northeast South Dakota, and adjacent portions of North Dakota, moderate and severe drought expanded.”
Winter wheat producing areas from Kansas through Texas are largely free of drought.