Agricultural Weather and USA Drought
During the last week, much-needed rain developed across the northern and eastern Corn Belt and continued in the Southeast, stabilizing or even improving crop and pasture conditions. In the Midwest, some of the heaviest rain (locally 2 to 4 inches) fell from southern and eastern Wisconsin into Ohio. Substantial rain (at least 2 inches) also extended into the northern Mid-Atlantic States. Meanwhile, a second consecutive week of widespread Southeastern showers further revived pastures and aided immature summer crops. Weekly totals in excess of 4 inches were noted in the central Gulf Coast region and parts of the interior Southeast.
Farther west, however, mostly dry weather and triple-digit heat gripped the Plains and the western Corn Belt. The shift of heat into the western Corn Belt could not have come at a worse time for corn and soybeans entering the reproductive stage of development—similar to what happened in late June and early July across the lower Midwest.
