Heat Wave Continues to Expand Drought

Extreme weather continues to wreak havoc on U.S. crops throughout the country. Southern California is experiencing massive flooding, while Midwestern crops swelter under dangerously hot temperatures this week. Triple-digit temperatures are prevalent throughout the Corn Belt, with little to no precipitation in the forecast.

Some areas of western Iowa and eastern Nebraska are seeing temperatures of 115 degrees or higher. A heat dome is consuming the Plains and Mississippi Valley into the South with abnormally hot temperatures, even for mid-August. This weekend could yield some cooler weather but not much moisture. Crops are feeling the effect as they swelter in the relentless temperatures. The U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that 42% of U.S. corn is still under drought conditions, as are 38% of soybeans.

Read more on this week’s heat wave here.