As of Nov. 30, 52% of U.S. winter wheat area was covered by drought conditions, up from 49% the previous week, according to USDA analysis of the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The largest change was in Oklahoma with a seven-percentage point increase to 87% of the state now covered by abnormally dry/drought conditions, according to the Drought Monitor. In Texas, the amount of land covered by dryness/drought increased five points from the previous week with 7%. The area in the Kansas considered dryness/drought conditions increased four points to 46%.
Other HRW wheat states remained unchanged. All of Colorado and Montana remained covered by dryness/drought. South Dakota has 80% of its state suffering from dry conditions. Nebraska had nearly 70% of its land facing moisture stress.
The continued dryness expanded or intensified drought in parts of the southern to central Rockies, Great Plains, Lower to Mid-Mississippi Valley, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, according to the Drought Monitor.
“The persistent above-normal temperatures contributed to excessive evapotranspiration in western portions of the Great Plains as well as parts of the West,” said the National Drought Monitor. Excessive evapotranspiration, and windy conditions further dried soils, again especially in western portions of the Plains, as seen in several soil moisture indicators.