U.S. Midwest drought has increased sharply over the past month, with more than one-third of the region now impacted.
The latest weekly update of the US drought monitor on Thursday showed about 38% of the Midwest impacted by some form of drought as of Tuesday. That is up just a single point from a week earlier but represents a 32-point increase from the end of August.
As can be seen on the map below, the bulk of the dryness is impacting the lower and eastern Midwest, with the states of Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio almost now entirely covered by drought or abnormal dryness.
Not coincidentally, the USDA lowered its average corn yield estimate for most of those same states in its September crop report, with Missouri seeing the biggest decline – down 7 bu from the August estimate to 184 bu/acre. Average expected yields in Illinois and Ohio were each trimmed 2 bu from August to 219 and 194 bu/acre, respectively, while the USDA held its yield estimate for Indiana steady from a month earlier at 205 bu/acre.
Most of the eastern Midwest did get some relief from dryness earlier this week, although the showers arrived too late to make any difference in yields. Drier conditions are expected to return for the weekend and next week.
