According to today's Drought Monitor report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in the Midwest, as in some other parts of the country, rainfall totals were a mixed bag across the region last week, though more deterioration was noted than improvement.
Most of Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the lower Great Lakes Region recorded subnormal rainfall, persisting or worsening dryness in these regions.
A new area of exceptional drought (D4, the most intense category) was introduced in parts of central Missouri while D3 covered a large part of central and northeastern Missouri, southeastern Iowa, and southwestern Wisconsin.
Precipitation deficits of 7 to 12 inches accumulated during the last 90 days in a large portion of central and northeastern Missouri, and 4- to 8-inch deficits were common in southwestern Wisconsin, parts of eastern Iowa, and scattered patches across Indiana, Illinois, the lower Peninsula of Michigan, and isolated spots in western Ohio.
On the other hand, moderate to heavy rainfall doused the northern Great Lakes Region, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and a few locales in the eastern sections of the region, leading to some improvement there.