USA: drought conditions continue in July for the northern Plains

Drought conditions remain in the northern Plains, improve in the lower Midwest.

The final week of June 2021 brought much needed rainfall to parts of the Midwest where drought improvement was seen. According to data from WeatherTrends360, this was the wettest final week of June in 30+ years for the Corn Belt. Widespread 3’’ to over 10’’ of rain was beneficial in easing drought for some areas from Oklahoma to Michigan, but too much rain at once caused flash flooding.

While there were some small improvements in drought conditions in the northern Plains, there was some expansion as well as rainfall totals were not as significant across this region. Drought conditions are forcing ranchers to make tough decisions in the Dakotas with some are selling entire herds of cattle as pasture conditions deteriorate under very dry conditions. As of June 29^th, nearly 100% of the Dakotas and Minnesota are dealing with abnormally dry to drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Looking ahead, the first week of July 2021 will not be quite as wet as the end of June for the Corn Belt, but precipitation should be closer to normal for this time of the year. Temperatures will trend above normal for the Corn Belt as a whole with the hottest temperatures, unfortunately, in the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, according to forecasts from WeatherTrends360. Hotter weather will increase evapotranspiration rates in this drought-ridden area. This will be one of the hottest first weeks of July in 30+ years for the Dakotas and Minnesota.

After a relatively dry Independence Day weekend in the Corn Belt, the chance of showers and thunderstorms will return to the forecast. The wettest conditions are likely to avoid the Dakotas once again, generally staying to the south and east of the area.

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Tags: weather, drought, USA