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Forecaster says dry conditions in Eastern Corn Belt could worsen into next year

A weather and crop forecasting service expects dry conditions in parts of the Eastern Corn Belt to worsen over the next several months.

Bob McClure with Main Street Data says they’ve been closely watching conditions in Ohio and adjacent areas of Indiana and Michigan.

“The state yield for Ohio has been dropping in the last few days and it continues to dry out there,” McClure says. “In fact, from Indiana to Ohio and Michigan, that’s an area that’s drying out and that drying will probably continue throughout the year, into next year.”

McClure explains the basis for their forecast.

“We use the IBM seasonal forecast (which) forecasts precipitation and temperatures for the next six months—and we have a soil model that we can convert those temperature and precipitation forecasts into a soil moisture forecast. So we’re forecasting drought conditions, especially in those states I mentioned—Michigan, Ohio, Indiana—into next year.”

The latest drought map shows much of Ohio is “abnormally dry” with some of areas of “moderate drought”.  Parts of northern Indiana and southern Michigan are also “abnormally dry”.