Drought Monitor Shows Improvement in Midwest, South

Heavy rains fell across parts of the Midwest and South, leading to broad areas of drought improvement in those regions. 

Above-normal precipitation combined with below-normal temperatures to make improvements across much of the Midwest, which hadn’t gotten enough moisture recently to improve on deficits that were building since last spring. 

Virtually all short-term Midwest drought has been eliminated. 

Drought worsened in the South, including western and southern Texas and the Oklahoma Panhandle.

 Above-normal temps, below-normal precipitation, and high winds made things worse in places like southern Louisiana. 

Improvements were made in east Texas, Southern Arkansas, northern Louisiana, and Mississippi. 

Much of the High Plains stayed dry last week, resulting in deteriorating drought conditions across parts of the Dakotas and Nebraska. 

Soil moisture is very low, stream flows are dropping, and state reports show that stock ponds in the High Plains are drying up. Rains in the Western U.S. weren’t enough to relieve drought conditions.

(Story Courtesy of the NAFB News Service)