A Farm Futures report points out that the typical weather-related challenges for farmers during each growing season is extremely dry weather.

That’s not been the case this year because of rampant flooding in a good-sized portion of farm country.

While this spring did see drought in a few areas of rural America, its influence has steadily dropped over the last few months.

The latest updates to the U.S. Drought Monitor say that drought conditions are affecting just over 10 percent of the country.

That’s up from a record low of 8.84 percent last month but it’s still among historical low numbers.

Brad Pugh is a climatologist who put this week’s Drought Monitor Report together. He says:

 

“Excessively wet conditions still continue to hamper the development of corn and soybeans across the Corn Belt.”

“However, drought is intensifying across northern North Dakota due to a serious lack of rainfall since April.”

 

Only 3.1 percent of the Midwest is currently listed under drought conditions, while that number was 15 percent last year at this time.

In the Plains, just 5.9 percent of the region is being affected by drought, compared to 49 percent a year ago.

Pugh says the chances for above-normal precipitation in the next six to ten days is strong in the eastern U.S., including the Ohio, Tennessee, and Mississippi River Valleys, as well as the southern Great Plains.