Midwest Overview - June 2007

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A Dry Start, A Wet End for the Central Midwest

The distribution of rainfall across the Midwest was quite variable this month. Rainfall varied from well above normal in southwestern Missouri to near to above normal in much of Illinois (Figure 1). Outside of this area, June rainfall dropped off to less than 50 percent of normal in western Iowa northward into Minnesota, and less than 75 percent of normal in much of Ohio and Indiana. Through the first 23 days of the month precipitation over the southeastern half of the region was much below normal (Figure 2), and it was only in the last week that many locations from central Missouri through Illinois received three weeks worth of rain. The abundant rain in the last week of the month brought relief from a dry weather pattern that persisted since late April, and generally alleviated concerns for developing corn and soybean crops. Although coverage of the rain was good across the central Midwest, some locations were missed due to the hit and miss nature of thunderstorms. Some beneficial rain came to Kentucky and southern Ohio, but longer-term dry conditions still persist and much of Kentucky and a small portion of southern Ohio were in Severe Drought on the June 26 U.S. Drought Monitor (Figure 3).

The June temperature pattern reflected the areas that received the precipitation this month (Figure 4). Temperatures were 1°F above to 1°F below normal across the southern two thirds of the region, but 2°F to as much as 4°F above normal across the northern Midwest where sunshine was more abundant.

SDH