Weather

U.S. Drought Map Shows Heavy Midwest Rains, Worsening Dryness Elsewhere

Midwest farmers saw welcome relief as heavy rains drenched key crop areas, but drought deepened in parts of the South, Southwest, and Rockies. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor highlights a season of stark contrasts for American agriculture.

AgroLatam USA

The August 12, 2025, U.S. Drought Monitor reveals a mixed picture for American agriculture. While two consecutive weeks of heavy rain brought relief to parts of the Midwest and High Plains, drought conditions expanded in the Lower Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, Northeast, and several western regions.

Midwest: Relief and New Concerns
In Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, wetter-than-normal conditions have carried over from July. Rainfall totals over the past two weeks ranged from 1 to more than 6 inches, with isolated south-central Iowa areas seeing up to 7 inches in a single weekend.

Rebecca Vittetoe, Iowa State University Extension agronomist, noted that while moisture levels are now favorable, crop disease pressure is rising. "Sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soybeans and southern rust in corn are becoming more apparent," she said.

Southern Wisconsin saw nearly a foot of rain, with localized flooding. Moderate to heavy rain also fell in western Lower Michigan, northern and western Missouri, and northwestern Illinois. However, not all areas saw improvement - southern Missouri and parts of the Great Lakes region remain under worsening dryness.

High Plains: Spotty Improvements
Much of North Dakota, southern Nebraska, and parts of Kansas saw abundant rainfall, leading to improved soil moisture. South Dakota's conditions held steady due to limited precipitation, while northwestern Colorado deteriorated into exceptional drought, the most severe classification.

Nationwide Weather Contrast
Rainfall totals reached 8 to 11 inches in parts of southeast Wisconsin and 6 to 8 inches across southeast South Dakota, the Carolinas, and sections of Florida. Yet many drought-stricken regions, including the central Arizona desert and parts of the central Rockies, saw little to no relief.

The USDA warns that this uneven precipitation pattern poses challenges for commodity yields, livestock feed supplies, and pasture conditions. High temperatures and persistent humidity in several regions could further stress crops already battling disease and late-season dryness.

With August heat continuing, the outlook remains mixed: farmers in the Midwest may reap benefits from recent storms, but producers in the South and West face mounting water deficits that could influence fall harvests and input decisions.

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