Latest News From Crop Conditions

From the intense heat in the South to drought blanketing much of the U.S., weather stole headlines again in 2023. What caused such extreme conditions? One meteorologist explains the culprits of the heat and drought.

With heat forecast to top 100 degrees in places, combined with the expectation for little to no rain, crop conditions could deteriorate and the biggest risk in the western and central Corn Belt.

The National Drought Mitigation Center estimates 67% of corn and 60% of soybeans are still considered to be in drought, a slight improvement from last week when drought covered 70% of corn and 63% of soybeans.

USDA released a few big surprises in the June acreage report, including a spike in corn acres and a large reduction in soybean acres. The agency also forecasts grain stocks below trade expectations.

Hurricane-force winds swept from northern Missouri and Iowa all the way east to Illinois and Indiana. The derecho brought wind gusts up to 100 mph, flattening cornfields, but it also drenched soils with crucial rains.

Even with rains sweeping the Northern Corn Belt last weekend, the latest drought monitor shows drought continues to spread across Illinois with D2 (Severe Drought) taking a 28-point jump in a week.

Drought is deepening across the Midwest with 64% of the corn crop and 57% of the soybean crop across the U.S. now covered in drought, a sizable jump in just a week after NASS showed a historic drop in condition ratings.

The updated drought monitor indicates dryness will continue to expand across eastern Missouri, eastern Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Seven U.S. states along the drought-starved Colorado River have reached a deal with the Biden administration to conserve water in a "historic consensus" to prevent supply problems for big cities as well as farmers.

Scenes across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas resemble the Dust Bowl after winds topping 100 mph ravaged the area. Growers are dealing with a dryland wheat crop that could already see abandonment as high as 80%.

As La-Niña ends, meteorologists say the next two months could determine whether we see a drought like 2012 or a return of regular rains across the lower 48.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey is concerned about the impact this week's high heat could have on corn production as the majority of the crop was planted late. The August forecasts are also concerning for soybeans.

Triple digit heat blankets the Southwest this week, and forecasters expect the ridge of high pressure to park over the western Corn Belt next week. AccuWeather projects U.S. corn production could be severely impacted.

Less than 50% of the continental U.S. is in moderate drought for the first time since November, but with another drought record still running strong, forecasts show drought could grow over the summer months.

July proved to be a scorcher in the West, but the weather story flipped to start August, with much of the eastern half of the country enjoying cooler and dryer air during the first few days of the month.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly 10% of the contiguous U.S. is now under an "exceptional drought," which is the highest the rate has been since 2011.

As drought conditions in the West are continuing to expand, hotter temperatures aren't helping things. Heat that started building over the weekend is not good news for areas already dealing with that drought.

The dire drought situation is one USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey thinks could last through at least the remainder of 2021. Forecasts also point to a drier weather pattern returning for Texas and the Plains.

As the Great Plains see plunging temperatures this week, one meteorologist thinks crops in the core of the Corn Belt escaped major damage thanks to constant cloud cover. However, livestock producers may not be so lucky.

AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben talks with Nate Like, a livestock producer in Hamler, Ohio; Andy Stickel, a producer in Pemberville, Ohio. Feed, Bedding Worries Linger As Crop Conditions Stay Subpar in Ohio

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking matters into its own hands, opening two more emergency programs for producers dealing with flooding in Nebraska.

Moisture came to about two-thirds of the country last week, dropping heavy precipitation from the southern Great Plains northeastward into the northern Appalachians. But many areas remains in significant drought.