This week’s U.S. Drought Monitor notes significant improvements in drought-related conditions across the Midwest, Central and Northern Plains, South, and the Desert Southwest.

Midwest

The Midwest has seen continued drought improvements, particularly from Minnesota to Ohio. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor dated July 31, rainfall accumulations ranged from 1 to 5 inches, with the heaviest amounts recorded in isolated areas of northern Missouri, eastern Iowa, southern Minnesota, central Illinois, and northern Indiana. Improvements have been noted in states such as Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.

Phil Krieg, an agronomy service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection in Illinois, noted the month was marked by heavy and sporadic thunderstorms.

“Each day had a line of storms develop somewhere, with rainfall amounts exceeding 4 inches in storm center areas,” said Krieg. “Saturated soils are causing plants to die in large areas — both corn and soybeans.”

In Wisconsin, the humidity has reached alarming levels, according to Nick Groth, agronomic service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection. “Fields remain wet well past noon in many cases, raising concerns about disease development,” Groth added.

In Iowa, agronomy manager Eric Wilson reported yellowing in low-lying soybean areas due to excess moisture, while nitrogen deficiency is becoming evident in corn as the crop enters peak grain fill.

“All areas received rain over the last week, especially southeastern Iowa and around Des Moines, where heavy rainfall has begun taking a toll on crops,” Wilson remarked.

High Plains

In the High Plains region, improvements continued from Kansas to North Dakota after a week of scattered rainfall. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports notable improvements in northern Kansas, eastern Nebraska, and parts of South Dakota and North Dakota. This improvement is substantiated by various indicators, including streamflows, soil moisture, and vegetation health metrics.

Travis Gustafson, agronomic service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection, highlighted a transition to a hot and dry weather pattern in Nebraska. “Irrigation has intensified, creating optimal conditions for grain filling with abundant sunlight and moisture,” he stated. However, some areas in central South Dakota and northern North Dakota are experiencing worsening conditions.

West

The western region saw mostly dry conditions with some isolated showers in northeastern California, northwestern Nevada, eastern New Mexico, eastern Colorado, and Montana. Deterioration in drought conditions was documented in parts of the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Idaho) and the Intermountain West (Utah, Wyoming, Colorado).

South

In the southern U.S., the Drought Monitor indicates marked improvements in South Texas and the Trans Pecos region, thanks to higher-than-normal precipitation over the past 30 to 120 days. These regions have seen substantial advancements in various drought categories (D1–D3).

Conversely, some areas experienced degradations, especially in southwestern Oklahoma, northern Mississippi, and central Tennessee, where rainfall has been below normal over the past 30 to 60 days.