Drought in key US production regions has retreated, but significant dryness remains as the winter season draws nearer.
The latest weekly US drought monitor on Thursday showed over half of the Midwest (59%) was still being impacted by some form of drought as of Tuesday. That is down from around 75% a week earlier but well above 35% the previous year. Iowa saw marked improvement, with that portion of the state impacted by drought falling to about 63% from 88% a week earlier.
The No. 1 winter wheat production state of Kansas also saw major relief, with drought impacting about 54% of the state as of Tuesday, compared to 77% a week earlier. Still, that remains much higher than 23% last year.
On a national basis, the improvement in overall drought was notably more modest, easing just a couple of points on the week to 52%, 15 points higher than a year ago.
Widespread and significant precipitation arrived in many areas of the Midwest late last week, over the weekend, and early this week. Over 800% of normal rain was recorded in much of southern Missouri and central Iowa and Wisconsin as several rain events moved through, the drought monitor said. As for the High Plains region, significant rains fell over much of Kansas, into southeast Nebraska and southeast Colorado. Rain and snow also fell from portions of eastern Colorado into Wyoming and into the Dakotas too, “reversing the trend of very dry conditions.”
The amount of US corn and soybean production impacted by drought each fell 10 points from a week earlier to 71% and 63%, respectively, as of Tuesday. Winter wheat production impacted by drought fell a more modest 5 points to 57%.
Last year at this time, drought was impacting 37% and 39% of corn and soybean production, and 42% of winter wheat production.
