“Not much more room” for worse conditions in California
Three years into one of the driest periods ever in California, the leading fruit and vegetable state, “there is not much more room for further deterioration, at least during the dry season,” said the weekly Drought Monitor. Much of the state is designated in extreme or exceptional drought, the direst ratings. In the three years since July 1, 2011, statewide precipitation was 67 percent of normal and for the past 12 months, 56 percent of average.
Abundant rainfall improved conditions in the Midwest and the Plains, with more rain expected in the coming week. Overall, 34.16 percent of the contiguous 48 states were in drought, down 3.69 points from three months ago. Eight percent of corn was in drought territory, compared to 30 percent in mid-April, says the AgInDrought site. Soybeans enjoyed a similar improvement, going from 23 percent in drought on April 15 to only 4 percent now. Record-setting harvests are possible this fall.