All graphics courtesy of USDA, NOAA, Department of Commerce

Mostly dry weather further reduced soil moisture for Midwestern summer crops, especially from Nebraska to Ohio. However, cooler Midwestern weather helped reduce evaporation rates.

In contrast, locally heavy showers benefited pastures and summer crops across the southern Plains and the Southeast. Toward week’s end, excessive rain (8 in. or more) fell in a few areas, including southern Alabama and westernmost Florida.

Hit-or-miss showers dotted the Plains, although central portions of the region (e.g. Kansas) remained largely too dry to support normal growth of pastures and rain-fed summer crops. Elsewhere, dry weather in the Southwest contrasted with very cool, showery conditions in the Northwest.

Get the full weekly weather report from World Agricultural Outlook Board.