As of Nov. 12, the Drought Monitor showed 83% of the U.S. was covered by abnormal dryness/drought, down five percentage points from the previous week. USDA estimated 43% of the U.S. winter wheat crop was experiencing drought conditions, down 14 points from last week and one point less than last year at this time.
USDA’s estimate is for D1-D4 drought, not including D0 (abnormally dry) conditions. Including that, dryness/drought still covers roughly three-quarters to 100% of key HRW and HRS areas.
The Drought Monitor noted, “Storm systems brought significant precipitation and drought relief to broad areas in the central Rockies, central and southern Plains, Lower and Middle Mississippi Valley, Lower and Middle Ohio Valley, and the South Atlantic Region. Meanwhile, subnormal precipitation and some unseasonable warmth led to deterioration in dryness and drought conditions in portions of the Southwest, southern and western Texas, the interior Southeast, the northeastern Gulf Coast, the central and southern Appalachians, the mid-Atlantic region and Northeast.”
In HRW areas, dryness/drought covered 73% of Kansas (no D3 or D4), 42% of Colorado (1% D3, no D4), 82% of Oklahoma (no D3 or D4), 85% of Texas (13% D3 or D4), 94% of Nebraska (9% D3, no D4), 100% of South Dakota (11% D3, no D4) and 100% of Montana (14% D3 or D4).
In SRW areas, dryness/drought covered 62% of Missouri (no D3 or D4), 84% of Illinois (no D3 or D4), 77% of Indiana (no D3 or D4), 84% of Ohio (14% D3 or D4), 99% of Michigan (no D3 or D4), 47% of Kentucky (no D3 or D4) and 70% of Tennessee (4% D3, no D4).
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