While a few areas of the contiguous 48 states received large rain totals last week, most of the country got only light rainfall, according to Thursday’s weekly drought monitor from the National Weather Service.
Plus, Kansas, Nebraska, portions of central and western Texas and Oklahoma remained entrenched in extreme drought conditions, putting large swaths of the US winter wheat crop in peril.
OVERVIEW
More than 1.5 inches fell on the south half of Mississippi and the central Gulf Coast Region from Louisiana through the Florida Panhandle, with totals of four to six inches dousing parts of southeast Mississippi, southern Alabama and coastal Louisiana, the NWS said. Totals also exceeded 1.5 inches in parts of the central and southern Florida Peninsula, with amounts reaching six inches in parts of the southern Peninsula and along the eastern coastline.
A few swaths in the Upper Midwest recorded 1.5 to three inches, specifically from central to northeastern Minnesota, across much of Wisconsin and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and from northeast Kansas and southeast Nebraska into southwest Iowa, the NWS said. Beneficial moderate to heavy precipitation also fell on parts of the Northern Rockies, northern Intermountain West and Pacific Northwest.
Most of the Nation west of the Appalachians, however, saw light precipitation at best, the NWS said. Precipitation was a little more widespread over the Appalachians and along the Eastern Seaboard, but most areas received subnormal amounts with only isolated patches reporting moderate to heavy amounts.
SOME IMPROVEMENTS
On the whole, some areas of dryness and drought in the Southeast, the Upper Midwest, the northern Rockies and the Pacific Northwest felt improvement over the course of the week, the NWS said. In addition, rapid snowmelt quickly recharged soil moisture and boosted stream flows from the Dakotas to the western Great Lakes Region, prompting improvement in some areas.
But most locations experiencing abnormal dryness or drought saw conditions persist or intensify, with deterioration to extreme drought or exceptional drought noted in some areas across the western Florida Peninsula and the southern half of the Great Plains, the NWS said.
Areas of moderate to heavy precipitation brought continued improvement to many of the dryness and drought areas in Washington, Oregon and Montana, the NWS said. Improvement also was noted across parts of Utah as the unusually deep snowpack continued to melt slowly, recharging soil moisture and boosting stream flows.
From May 5 to Aug. 9, 2022, anywhere from 25% to 39% of the west climate region was entrenched in extreme or exceptional drought, the NWS said. As of April 18, only about 1.5% of the region was in extreme drought, restricted to interior northeastern Oregon.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers this week ranged from $174.86 per cwt to $183.96, compared with last week’s range of $172.20 to $179.46 per cwt. FOB dressed steers, and heifers went for $269.25 per cwt to $281.66, compared with $261.33 to $273.20.
The USDA choice cutout Thursday was up $1.07 per cwt at $306.99 while select was down $2.72 at $288.74. The choice/select spread widened to $18.25 from $15.45 with 86 loads of fabricated product and 14 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains were unchanged at $1.63 to $1.75 a bushel over the May corn contract, which settled at $6.63 3/4 a bushel, down $0.08 1/2.
No live cattle futures deliveries were tendered Thursday.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Wednesday was $203.91 per cwt, down $2.32. This compares with Thursday’s Apr contract settlement of $205.02 per cwt, up $0.35, and May’s $212.35, up $1.87.