One of the warmest, but also the wettest, springs on record for the Midwest has helped to all-but-eliminate drought conditions. The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor showed that only 6.7% of the Midwest region was “abnormally dry,” a remarkable drop from 77.2% just three months ago. Much of the Corn Belt, particularly areas in the north and the west, have received several inches of rain in recent weeks.
The High Plains region is still 30.9% “abnormally dry,” but that is mainly due to Kansas, where that percentage is 64%. Kansas is the anomaly, however. Extended forecasts show above-average temperatures across the Midwest over the next two weeks, which could start to fuel a little bit of unease if the forecast for the end of the month looks hot and dry. But for now, soil moisture levels are good and the crop is getting some welcome sunshine and warmth.
