USA: a hot and dry end to July

Drought deepens across portions of the northern Corn Belt, according to Weathertrends360.

A hot end to July 2021 is in store for a large portion of the Corn Belt.

Unfortunately, the hottest conditions will occur over the northern Plains where the weather has been a struggle for much of the growing season this year. Hot and dry weather are sure to exacerbate drought conditions in the region. The southern Corn Belt will see a drier end to July, but wetter than normal conditions through the first half of the summer should hold crops over during this spell of drier weather.

The final week of July 2021 (July 25-31) is forecast to be the third hottest and eighth driest in more than 30 years for the Corn Belt as a whole according to data from WeatherTrends360. Unfortunately, some of the hottest weather will be centered over the Northern and High Plains, which have been ravaged by drought this year. This will be one of the hottest and driest ends to July in over 30 years for the Dakotas and Nebraska.

In Minnesota, the recent U.S. Drought Monitor indicated widespread deepening of drought across the central and northern portions of the state in the week-ending July 20; 100% of the state is now in abnormally dry to drought conditions. From July 1 through July 22, it has been the driest July in 30-plus years for Minnesota according to data from WeatherTrends360.

There is a chance for wetter conditions for southern and central portions of Minnesota and southeastward toward the Chicago area in the week-ending July 31. However, any slight shift in the location of expected showers and thunderstorms could disappoint drought-stricken areas of southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Regardless, July 2021 will end up being one of the driest Julys in 30+ years for the entire state of Minnesota. Rainfall in the short term would provide little relief to the larger drought situation in the state; a more prolonged pattern of wet weather is needed to make improvements to current drought conditions.

Hot weather will be a concern, especially for the Northern and High Plains, as hotter conditions will increase evapotranspiration rates over an area already devoid of soil moisture. According to the USDA, approximately 36% of corn production is within an area experiencing drought, as of July 20.

The Dakotas and Minnesota are the leading states with corn crop in drought areas. This should come as no surprise as these states have seen some of the driest conditions since 1991 through the first half of summer (June 1 through July 22), according to data from WeatherTrends360. With hot and relatively dry conditions expected in the final week of July, expect an increase in drought conditions across this area.

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Tags: corn, weather, drought, dryness