Drought-Stricken Southern Plains Face Mounting Agricultural Risks
The US agricultural sector is facing severe weather conditions as extreme dryness intensifies across the southern Plains, while storms and cooler air advance through the Corn Belt.
Punishing heat and worsening drought are affecting Texas, Oklahoma, and southeastern Kansas, creating mounting risks for rangeland, pastures, immature summer crops, and newly planted winter wheat.
USDA agricultural meteorologist Brad Rippey reported that deteriorating soil moisture can reduce yields, increase livestock feeding costs, and complicate crop establishment heading into fall.
The southern Plains stand in sharp contrast to conditions farther north, where Montana is experiencing cooler-than-normal weather, while temperatures remain near or above seasonal levels farther south and east.