THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR’S WEEKLY UPDATE POSTED TODAY SHOWS THAT 60 PERCENT OF THE LAND IN THE LOWER 48 STATES IS EXPERIENCING SOME DEGREE OF DROUGHT AS OF TUESDAY. THAT’S DOWN NEARLY 2 PERCENTAGE POINTS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT MUCH OF SANDY’S FALLOUT.
DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUED EASING IN IOWA, ILLINOIS AND NORTH DAKOTA, ALTHOUGH FAR TOO LATE TO HELP THE CORN AND SOYBEAN CROPS, WHICH ARE NEARLY COMPLETELY HARVESTED. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS 88 PERCENT OF THIS YEAR’S WINTER WHEAT CROP HAD BEEN PLANTED AS OF MONDAY. THAT’S 3 PERCENTAGE POINTS LOWER THAN THE FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE.
