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Rainfall improves drought condition in North Dakota

Soil conditions much improved

There was nothing else to do but improve, and improve it has. Recent rainfall, including some record deluges, has done wonders to alleviate what had been very dry soil conditions throughout much of the Minot area and western North Dakota.

The U.S. Drought Monitor released its weekly assessment Thursday, and it shows that much of North Dakota has benefited greatly from rains that fell on previously parched ground. Early planted crops, such as wheat, was showing signs of suffering due to a lack of moisture. The rainfall arrived later in the growing season than producers would like, but it nevertheless revived a crop that had begun to wilt in the field.

Later planted crops, such as corn and soybeans, have grown vigorously thanks to added rainfall. All in all, says the Drought Monitor, growing conditions have vastly improved both for cropland and hayland. It was not an unexpected assessment.

One week ago the Drought Monitor rated 53% of the state to be in “moderate” drought. The latest assessment has reduced that evaluation to less 17.64%. Keep in mind that the Drought Monitor generally lags behind about one week due to the gathering of information and the issuance of weekly assessments.

“A second week with widespread and abundant rains across much of the Dakotas and Montana, along with field reports on the rains impact, justified large-scale improvements in western North Dakota” reads the latest Drought Monitor report. It adds that “field crops have responded, with both Dakotas reporting mainly fair to good conditions for corn, soybeans, barley, oats, winter and spring wheat, along with pasture and range conditions.”

Not all of the news was good however. The weekly report noted that “where the rains were not as plentiful or were missed, dryness and drought expanded.” That area of expansion was primarily in the south-central part of the state and along the Canadian border.

Additional rain has fallen over many areas of the state since the latest report was compiled, meaning further improvement in soil conditions are possible in the next issuance of the Drought Monitor. Also, more showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for a wide area of the state, including the Minot region, for today, tonight and again early next week.

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