News

The drought intensifies

The weekly drought monitor from USDA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows things continue to deteriorate across the corn belt. As of Tuesday, severe or extreme drought covers most of the area with exceptional drought now from southeastern Missouri up into central Indiana.

The Midwest states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky) now have 55 percent of their area in severe drought, 29 percent in extreme drought and 4.3 percent in the exceptional drought category. A week ago just 11 percent was extreme and less than 1 percent was classified exceptional. Most of Minnesota is in good shape.

In the High Plains states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming) 77 percent is in severe drought, 44 percent extreme drought and 2.5 percent is extreme. Last week 28 percent was extreme and 1.3 percent was in exceptional drought.

View the U.S. Drought Monitor interactive map here: