Idaho And Western United States SNOTEL Water Year (Oct 1) to Date Precipitation % of Normal (9/30)

USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report - Corn 18% Harvested, Soybeans 19% Harvested as of Sept. 28

OMAHA (DTN) -- Despite scattered rain across parts of the country last week, corn and soybean harvests continued to advance. This week's warm, dry conditions are expected to keep fieldwork moving, including progress on winter wheat planting, according to USDA NASS's weekly Crop Progress report released on Monday.

Both corn and soybean harvests remain slightly behind their five-year averages.

CORN

-- Crop development: Corn dented was estimated at 95%, equal to last year's pace, but 1 point behind the five-year average of 96%. Corn mature was pegged at 71%, 2 points behind last year's 73% and 3 points behind the five-year average of 74%.

-- Harvest progress: The pace of corn harvest picked up slightly last week, moving ahead 7 percentage points to reach 18% complete as of Sunday. That is 2 points behind last year's 20% and 1 point behind the five-year average of 19%. Illinois' crop was 21% harvested, and Iowa's crop was just 15% harvested.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 66% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition nationwide, unchanged from the previous week. Ten percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, also unchanged from the previous week but 2 points below 12% from last year. Illinois' and Iowa's corn crops were rated 57% and 71%, respectively.

SOYBEANS

-- Crop development: Soybeans dropping leaves were pegged at 79%, equal to last year but 2 points ahead of the five-year average of 77%.

-- Harvest progress: Soybean harvest gained momentum last week, moving ahead 10 percentage points last week to reach 19% complete as of Sunday, 5 points behind last year's 24% and 1 point behind the five-year average of 20%. Louisiana and Mississippi were leading at 78% and 66% harvested, while Kansas remains behind at 5% harvested.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 62% of soybeans still in fields were in good-to-excellent condition, up 1 point from 61% the previous week and below last year's rating of 64%. Iowa and Kansas soybeans were rated at 73% and 65% good to excellent.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Planting progress: Winter wheat planting jumped ahead 14 points last week to reach 34% nationwide as of Sunday, 3 points behind last year's 37% and 2 points behind the five-year average of 36%. Washington's winter wheat planting still remains the furthest along at 68%, with South Dakota second at 60% complete, followed by Colorado at 59%.

-- Crop development: An estimated 13% of winter wheat had emerged as of Sunday, equal to last year but 1 point ahead of the five-year average of 12%.

THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

This week is shaping up to be a productive one for farmers, as much of the country will see conditions that support both corn and soybean harvests and winter wheat planting, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

"Overall, it looks like a good weather week to get some fieldwork done in a lot of the country," Baranick said. "There are some showers early this week in the Southeast, and the Northwest will get some occasional rain that will mess with winter wheat planting. But the rest of the country is going to be rather warm and mostly dry. Some spotty showers will be out there throughout the week. A front will get into the Northern Plains on Wednesday that may produce some showers. And that front will come alive more likely starting on Friday as it pushes a little farther south into the Central Plains and east into the Upper Midwest with showers for the weekend. Some disruption will be possible there. But overall, it still looks like a good week to get outside and get some work done, whether it be harvest or winter planting."

National Crop Progress Summary
	This	Last	Last	5-Year
	Week	Week	Year	Avg.
Corn Dented	95	91	95	96
Corn Mature	71	56	73	74
Corn Harvested	18	11	20	19
Soybeans Dropping Leaves	79	61	79	77
Soybeans Harvested	19	9	24	20
Winter Wheat Planted	34	20	37	36
Winter Wheat Emerged	13	4	13	12
Cotton Bolls Opening	67	60	71	69
Cotton Harvested	16	12	19	16
Sorghum Coloring	93	89	95	95
Sorghum Mature	61	52	68	65
Sorghum Harvested	28	25	34	32
Sugarbeets Harvested	15	12	15	17
Rice Harvested	77	71	77	67
Peanuts Harvested	17	9	10	13
Sunflowers Harvested	-	-	1	1

**

National Crop Condition Summary
(VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent)
	This Week						Last Week						Last Year
	VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E
Corn	3	7	24	49	17		3	7	24	49	17		4	8	24	49	15
Soybeans	3	8	27	49	13		4	8	27	48	13		3	8	25	52	12
Cotton	5	12	36	37	10		6	12	35	37	10		17	20	32	27	4
Peanuts	2	11	32	47	8		3	11	31	46	9		3	8	37	47	5
Sorghum	3	7	26	46	18		3	7	26	46	18		8	15	32	37	8

8

Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Region - Storage Reservoirs in the Upper Snake River (9/29)

Average daily streamflows indicated in cubic feet per second.
Reservoir levels current as of midnight on date indicated.

Upper Snake River system is at 22 % of capacity.
(Jackson Lake,Palisades, Grassy Lake,Island Park,Ririe,American Falls,LakeWalcott)
Total space available:	3161327 AF
Total storage capacity:	4045695 AF

This Week's Drought Summary (9/25)

It was a challenging period for drought monitoring, with a broad mix of improvement and deterioration. Additionally, a significant rainfall event was underway in parts of the central, eastern, and southern U.S. when the drought-monitoring period ended early Tuesday. Any precipitation that fell after the Tuesday cutoff will be considered for next week’s map. Broadly, precipitation fell across the Plains, Midwest, and mid-South, mostly from the central Rockies to the western slopes of the Appalachians. Locally significant showers also dotted the Southwest, providing limited drought relief but triggering flash flooding. In contrast, mostly dry weather prevailed in the Northwest, Intermountain West, Deep South, and along much of the Atlantic Coast.

Northeast

As the drought-monitoring period ended, rain overspread the western slopes of the Appalachians. However, for the majority of the region, worsening drought highlighted another dry week. Extreme drought (D3) expanded across northern New England, where impacts included poor crop and pasture conditions, along with low streamflow, low lake levels, and groundwater shortages. Some additional D3 was also introduced in the central Appalachians, including parts of West Virginia and neighboring states. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, topsoil moisture in agricultural regions was rated at least 75% very short to short on September 21 in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and West Virginia.

Southeast

Much of the Southeast experienced worsening “flash drought,” amid a warm, dry period. There were significant expansions of severe drought (D2) in Alabama, Georgia, and northern Florida, as well as western Virginia. Two exceptions to the dry pattern were ongoing showers across southern Florida and rain along the middle Atlantic Coast associated with a low-pressure system. By September 21, Southeastern topsoil moisture rated very short to short ranged from 35% in Florida to 59% in Georgia, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, while South Carolina led the region with 30% of its pastures rated very poor to poor.

South

Rain arrived late in the drought-monitoring period across the northern tier of the region. Elsewhere, hot, mostly dry weather dominated. On September 21, prior to the rain’s arrival, topsoil moisture—as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—was rated 78% very short to short in Tennessee, along with 71% in Arkansas. By September 23, a core area of severe to extreme drought (D2 to D3) existed across the mid-South, including parts of Arkansas and Tennessee. Statewide, 40% of the pastures in Arkansas were rated very poor to poor on that date.

Midwest

Late-arriving rains made for a messy drought map, showing a variety of changes. Some of the heavier rain fell from Missouri to Ohio, although not all areas received significant moisture. On September 21, prior to the rain, topsoil moisture across the lower Midwest was more than 70% very short to short in five states, led by Ohio (88%). On that date, 50 to 60% of the pastures were rated very poor to poor in Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio.

High Plains

Most of the region is free of drought or received drought-easing precipitation, including some high-elevation snow in the central Rockies. Although rain slowed fieldwork, including summer crop harvesting and winter wheat planting, moisture should benefit rangeland, pastures, and fall-sown crops.

West

Worsening drought in parts of the Northwest contrasted with locally heavy showers farther south. In the Southwest, those showers led to targeted drought improvement, but also resulted in spotty flash flooding in some of the nation’s driest locations, including Death Valley, California. Farther north, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that statewide topsoil moisture (on September 21) was rated 92% very short to short in Washington, along with 80% in Oregon. Winter wheat planting has been advancing quickly in Washington and was 58% complete by September 21. Any fall-sown Northwestern crops will soon need moisture for proper autumn establishment. Currently, at least 45% of the rangeland and pastures in all Northwestern States were rated very poor to poor, led by Montana (61%).

Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico

Suddenly wet weather across southeastern Alaska eradicated the abnormal dryness (D0) that had developed in recent weeks. Ketchikan received more than 15 inches of rain from September 15-22.

There were no changes to the depiction in Hawaii, with drought covering more than two-thirds (69%) of the island chain, although drier-than-normal weather persisted across much of the state.

Puerto Rico received locally heavy showers, chipping away at the eastern edge of the abnormal dryness (D0) in eastern sections of the commonwealth.

Virgin Islands

This week, heavy showers and thunderstorms that developed over the U.S. Virgin Islands brought significant rain, improving the dry conditions across the islands.

Several weather stations on St. Croix reported heavy rainfall, including VI-SC-10 in Christiansted (1.6 E) and VI-SC-30 (1.7 SW), which recorded 10 and 9.67 inches of rain, respectively. In addition, VI-SC-23 (Christiansted 6.5 W) and VI-SC-34 (Frederiksted 1.9 NE) recorded 6.28 inches and 5.79 inches of rainfall, respectively, while VI-SC-20 (Frederiksted 1.7 ESE) reported 3.65 inches. The 1-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) value for East Hill improved from -1.18 last week to 1.44 this week. Additionally, the SPI values for the past 3, 6, 9, and 12 months are all positive, indicating an overall improvement across the island due to the recent heavy rains. According to the USGS, the groundwater level at Adventure 28 Well in St. Croix decreased to 18.31 feet on September 23, 2025, down from 18.82 feet the previous week. However, this level is still higher than the recording from August 24, which was 17.93 feet. As a result, St. Croix has improved from short-term moderate drought (D1-S) to abnormally dry (D0-S) conditions due to recent heavy rains.

This week, St. John experienced heavy rainfall across the island. Windswept Beach (VI-SJ-3) recorded 4.38 inches of rain, while VI-SJ-5 (Cruz Bay 1.6 E) reported 5.21 inches. All Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) values indicate that the island is currently experiencing normal conditions. As of September 23, 2025, the water level at the Susannaberg DPW 3 well (St. John, USVI) measured 11.15 feet below the land surface, showing a decrease from last week's measurement of 12.32 feet. Overall, due to the recent rainfall, St. John has improved from abnormally dry conditions to drought-free status.

St. Thomas experienced heavy rainfall across the island, with significant totals reported. The rainfall at VI-ST-13 (Charlotte Amalie, 1.2 NNW) recorded 2.79 inches, although there are two days of missing data. In addition, VI-ST-15 (Charlotte Amalie West, 1.3 N) observed 2.40 inches of rain. On September 23, 2025, the depth of the water level in the Grade School 3 well in St. Thomas was measured at 6.62 feet below the land surface, showing a slight decrease from the previous week’s level of 5.69 feet. At Cyril E. King Airport, all Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) values for 1 to 12 months shifted significantly from negative to positive, indicating that St. Thomas is now drought-free.

Looking Ahead

Rainfall will continue to shift southward and eastward, resulting in a boost in soil moisture in many areas experiencing short-term drought. Five-day rainfall should reach 1 to 3 inches or more across much of the eastern U.S., as well as portions of the Gulf Coast States. Once rain ends across the Plains and Midwest, dry weather will prevail for the next several days. Dry weather should extend into the Northwest until late in the weekend, when showers will arrive along the northern Pacific Coast. Elsewhere, a late-season monsoon surge will result in unusually heavy showers for this time of year in parts of the Southwest, leading to another round of possible flash flooding.

The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook for September 30 – October 4 calls for near- or above-normal temperatures nationwide, with the north-central U.S. having the greatest likelihood of experiencing warmer-than-normal weather. Meanwhile, near- or above-normal precipitation across most of the country should contrast with drier-than-normal weather in a band stretching from the southern Plains into the Great Lakes region and the Northeast.

Idaho And Western United States SNOTEL Water Year (Oct 1) to Date Precipitation % of Normal (9/23)

USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report - Corn 11% Harvested, Soybeans 9% Harvested as of Sept. 21

OMAHA (DTN) -- Corn and soybean condition ratings declined slightly last week for the crops still in the field, though harvest of both remain on pace with their five-year averages, according to USDA NASS's weekly Crop Progress report released on Monday.

A very slow-moving storm system brought heavy rain to the middle of the country last week, and another, faster-moving system is set to bring more rainfall from Kansas through the Ohio Valley -- a mix of good and bad news for farmers, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

CORN

-- Crop development: Corn dented was estimated at 91%, equal to last year's pace and 2 percentage points behind the five-year average of 93%. Corn mature was pegged at 56%, 3 percentage points behind last year and the five-year average of 59%.

-- Harvest progress: Corn harvest moved ahead 4 percentage points last week to reach 11% complete as of Sunday. That is 2 points behind last year's 13% and equal to the five-year average. Kansas' crop was 20% harvested, and Iowa's crop was just 8% harvested.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 66% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition nationwide, down 1 point from the previous week of 67%. Ten percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, up 1 percentage point from the previous week at 9% but 2 points below 12% from last year. Kansas' and Iowa's corn crops were rated 61% and 74%, respectively.

SOYBEANS

-- Crop development: Soybeans dropping leaves were pegged at 61%, 1 point behind last year's 62% but 1 point ahead of the five-year average of 60%.

-- Harvest progress: Soybean harvest moved ahead 4 percentage points last week to reach 9% complete as of Sunday, 3 points behind last year's 12% and equal to the five-year average. Indiana's soybean harvest was 12% complete as of last week, 5 points ahead of the five-year average of 7%.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 61% of soybeans still in fields were in good-to-excellent condition, down 2 points from 63% the previous week and below last year's rating of 64%. Kentucky had the highest very-poor-to-poor rating of 40%, with only 30% rated good to excellent.

SPRING WHEAT

-- Harvest progress: Spring wheat harvest inched ahead 2 percentage points last week to reach 96% complete as of Sunday. That puts this year's harvest progress 1 point ahead of last year's 95% and consistent with the five-year average.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Planting progress: Winter wheat planting jumped ahead 9 points last week to reach 20% nationwide as of Sunday, 3 points behind last year and the five-year average of 23%. Washington, Colorado and South Dakota were leading at 58%, 37% and 36% planted.

-- Crop development: An estimated 4% of winter wheat had emerged as of Sunday, equal to last year and the five-year average.

THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

Showers from last week's slow-moving system helped immature crops and winter wheat planting, but with another round of heavy rain moving from the Rockies through the Ohio Valley, harvest delays may become a growing concern, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

"A very slow-moving storm system moved across the middle of the country last week and brought areas of heavy rain," Baranick said. "That was good news for those with immature crops and for winter wheat planting, but also impacted the drydown of mature crops and harvest as rainfall this time of year is always a double-edged sword. That system is still moving through the Midwest early this week with continued showers.

"Another system is in the Rockies on Monday and will move more quickly through the country this week. However, the forecast is for more areas of heavy rain, especially from Kansas through the Ohio Valley. That should help to reduce the drought along the Ohio Valley, or at least stop it from growing. But obviously that won't be favorable for those looking to harvest."

National Crop Progress Summary
	This	Last	Last	5-Year
	Week	Week	Year	Avg.
Corn Dented	91	85	91	93
Corn Mature	56	41	59	59
Corn Harvested	11	7	13	11
Soybeans Dropping Leaves	61	41	62	60
Soybeans Harvested	9	5	12	9
Spring Wheat Harvested	96	94	95	96
Winter Wheat Planted	20	11	23	23
Winter Wheat Emerged	4	NA	4	4
Cotton Bolls Opening	60	50	62	59
Cotton Harvested	12	9	13	12
Sorghum Coloring	89	81	91	91
Sorghum Mature	52	44	58	54
Sorghum Harvested	25	22	28	27
Sugarbeets Harvested	12	8	11	12
Rice Harvested	71	61	70	57
Peanuts Harvested	9	3	5	6
Sunflowers Harvested	-	NA	-	-

**

National Crop Condition Summary
(VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent)
	This Week						Last Week						Last Year
	VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E
Corn	3	7	24	49	17		3	6	24	50	17		4	8	23	50	15
Soybeans	4	8	27	48	13		3	8	26	50	13		3	8	25	52	12
Cotton	6	12	35	37	10		4	10	34	42	10		14	19	30	32	5
Peanuts	3	11	31	46	9		1	7	28	54	10		1	7	30	54	8
Sorghum	3	7	26	46	18		3	7	25	46	19		8	14	34	36	8

Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Region - Storage Reservoirs in the Upper Snake River (9/22)

Average daily streamflows indicated in cubic feet per second.
Reservoir levels current as of midnight on date indicated.

Upper Snake River system is at 23 % of capacity.
(Jackson Lake,Palisades, Grassy Lake,Island Park,Ririe,American Falls,LakeWalcott)
Total space available:	3095279 AF
Total storage capacity:	4045695 AF

This Week's Drought Summary (9/18)

Another week of scant rainfall led to widespread expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate (D1) to severe (D2) drought across the Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast regions. Extreme (D3) drought was introduced near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, as well as eastern Ohio and portions of West Virginia. Some expansion of drought and abnormal dryness also occurred across portions of Texas, Oklahoma, and the eastern Plains, while moderate to heavy precipitation brought 1-category improvements to localized areas in western Texas, northward through western Nebraska. Along the Rockies, above-average precipitation yielded fairly widespread 1-category improvements. Above-normal rainfall for the time of year fell across northern California and the Intermountain West, resulting in modest 1-category improvements ahead of the new water year. Enhanced monsoonal moisture was focused across New Mexico and southeastern Arizona, sparking a 1-category reduction from exceptional (D4) drought conditions in the area. 7-day temperature anomalies were above-normal across the Northern Tier and Midwest, exacerbating the rapid onset of impacts, while below-normal temperatures across the east helped to slow the deterioration somewhat. Widespread drought conditions continued for Hawaii, with a 1-category deterioration to extreme (D3) drought on the southern Big Island. Alaska and Puerto Rico remain drought free.

Northeast

Outside of light rainfall overspreading eastern Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula in association with a coastal low, very little rain fell across the Northeast region during the past week. Temperatures ranging from near to below-normal for the time of year helped to slow the worsening short term impacts, but continued worsening of meteorological indices such as 30 to 90-day SPI values, drying soils, and 28-day streamflow values running far below average warranted widespread deterioration of drought conditions and abnormal dryness. Extreme drought (D3) expanded from central New Hampshire into southern Maine, and new areas of extreme drought were introduced to both central West Virginia and the Northern Panhandle. Drying soils and low streamflow values warranted an expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) across eastern Pennsylvania, southern New York, eastern Massachusetts, and the Allegheny Plateau region of Maryland, while moderate drought (D1) expanded across western Pennsylvania.

Southeast

Another week of robust thunderstorm activity across southern Florida resulted in additional reductions of drought conditions, including a complete removal of severe drought (D2) across the South Florida metro area. Elsewhere across the Southeast region, little rainfall was observed during the past week. This resulted in a fairly widespread expansion of moderate drought (D1) and abnormal dryness (D0) across eastern Alabama, western and southern Georgia, and along the Carolina Piedmont region. Moderate drought expanded to cover most of the uplands of central and northern Virginia, while light rainfall helped preclude any degradations across the southern Appalachians. Due to the rapid nature of this drought onset and temperatures ranging near to below normal, impacts have mostly been observed through meteorological indices, including 30 to 90-day SPI values, and drying soil conditions, while streamflow and groundwater levels remain generally close to average.

South

Spotty convection late in the week brought localized rainfall to portions of Arkansas, northern Mississippi, and Louisiana, but accumulations were generally insufficient to change existing drought conditions. Where rain did not fall, expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate to severe drought (D1 to D2) occurred across the lower Mississippi Valley and the Tennessee Valley. More widespread rainfall, some locally heavy, overspread western and northern Texas, western Oklahoma, and far southern Texas. Most of this precipitation accumulated outside of existing areas of abnormal dryness or drought, though small 1-category improvements occurred across portions of western Texas, and the rainfall helped prevent further degradations. Drier conditions and seasonably warm temperatures warranted some degradations across central, southern, and eastern Texas, as well as the eastern two thirds of Oklahoma.

Midwest

PlaceholderGenerally wet conditions were observed across the upper Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan’s upper peninsula, and northern Iowa. 1-category improvements occurred across northern Minnesota and Michigan, while abnormal dryness (D0) expanded across western Minnesota, which missed out on the rainfall during a week of above-normal temperatures. In contrast, rapidly worsening impacts, persistent subnormal rainfall, and increasingly poor 30 to 90-day SPI values warranted widespread degradations across the remainder of the Great Lakes region and the Ohio Valley. Moderate to severe (D1 to D2) drought expanded to cover much of southern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, with a small area of extreme drought (D3) developing in far eastern Ohio. Low humidity and warm temperatures maintained high evapotranspirative rates throughout the week, and in addition to meteorological indices such as SPI showing worsening conditions, groundwater and streamflow values continue to fall. Most of the Ohio Valley remained dry though the week, though a swath of rainfall fell across Indiana, resulting in a small area of improvement that bucked the general trend.

High Plains

Widespread rainfall overspread western Kansas, Nebraska, western South Dakota, and North Dakota during the past week, resulting in modest reductions of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1) across western Kansas and central Nebraska. The highest rainfall totals fell across the Dakotas in regions that are currently drought-free. Drier conditions and warm temperatures prevailed across portions of eastern Kansas and northeastern Nebraska, with declining SPI values warranting some expansion of abnormal dryness (D0). Across Colorado and Wyoming, widespread precipitation fell across the mountainous regions, prompting some drought relief across northwestern Wyoming and much of western Colorado, including reductions in coverage of extreme to severe (D3 to D2) drought conditions.

West

Fairly widespread early season precipitation prompted modest reductions to drought coverage across the Northwest, where widespread severe to extreme (D2 to D3) drought conditions remain entrenched. While much above normal for the time of year, accumulations were fairly modest compared to amounts that can occur during the core weeks of the wet season during the winter. Across the Southwest, robust monsoonal moisture warranted a small reduction in coverage of exceptional drought (D4) across southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Further west, improving conditions due to early season precipitation across southern California warranted a reduction of abnormal dryness (D0) across Imperial County. Elsewhere, the drought depiction remained largely unchanged.

Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico

Heavy precipitation fell across Puerto Rico during the past week, with the highest accumulations occurring west of the areas currently experiencing abnormal dryness (D0). A band of heavy rainfall across northeastern Puerto Rico did warrant a small reduction of D0. Elsewhere, the drought depiction was maintained.

No changes to the depiction of abnormal dryness (D0) across southeastern Alaska were warranted this week. No drought conditions are currently present.

Dry weather during the past week led to worsening agricultural impacts across Hawaii, with reports of degrading field conditions for cattle grazing across the Ka’u region of the Big Island. An area of extreme drought (D3) was introduced across the southern portion of Ka’u in response to these worsening conditions.

Pacific Islands

In the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands, an active weather pattern prevailed during the drought-monitoring period.  A developing area of disturbed weather (Invest 90W) contributed to heavy rain across portions of the Marianas, while an active Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) delivered widespread, locally heavy showers across the Republic of Palau, much of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and portions of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).  In the RMI, lingering abnormal dryness (D0) is limited to northern atolls, including Utirik, Wotje, and Kwajalein.  Meanwhile, the FSM remained free of dryness-related concerns, except near the equator, where Kapingamarangi has received less than an inch of rain in four of the last 5 weeks, and has been categorized as being abnormally dry (D0).  American Samoa had been trending dry, but significant rain fell at the end of the drought-monitoring period, with 1.56 inches reported at Pago Pago International Airport on September 15-16.  Therefore, American Samoa remains free of abnormal dryness.

Virgin Islands

Mostly dry weather in the month since Hurricane Erin passed north of the U.S. Virgin Islands has resulted in short-term dryness (D0) returning across the northern islands of St. Thomas and St. John, while moderate drought (D1) persists on St. Croix. Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) values, along with increasing depths to water at U.S. Geological Survey wells, are supportive of those designations of dryness and drought. Most vegetation in the territory is not yet exhibiting significant stress, but depth to water at the Adventure 28 well on St. Croix has increased to nearly 19 feet, greatest since November 9, 2024.

Looking Ahead

A frontal system is forecast to help generate widespread precipitation across the Plains states and portions of the Midwest along and west of the Mississippi River during the upcoming week. This rainfall has a potential to bring much needed relief to regions that have experienced rapidly worsening drought conditions. In contrast, lighter rainfall is forecast for the Ohio Valley and East, which, coupled with warmer temperatures, may further exacerbate conditions in areas that have been experiencing rapid drought onset. Another week of heavy rainfall is favored for southern Florida, with drier conditions favored across the Piedmont region of the Southeast. Wet conditions early in the week across the Southwest will give way to a drier pattern overall through the end of the week, though chances of rain will increase by the end of the week across the Northwest.

The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook valid for September 23 – 27 favors above-normal temperatures across the entire contiguous United States, with the highest probabilities extending across the north-central states. Above-normal precipitation is favored across the West Coast and Intermountain West, and across much of Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley and lower Ohio Valley. In contrast, below-normal precipitation is favored along the Rockies and eastward across much of the Great Plains, upper-Midwest, and the western Great Lakes region. Across Alaska, below-normal temperatures are favored for the western half of the state, with above-normal favored for the Panhandle. Near to below-normal precipitation is forecast. For Hawaii, both above-average temperatures and above-average precipitation are favored.

Idaho And Western United States SNOTEL Water Year (Oct 1) to Date Precipitation % of Normal (9/16)

USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report - Corn 7% Harvested, Soybeans 5% Harvested as of Sept. 14

OMAHA (DTN) -- The U.S. corn and soybean harvests are both slightly behind last year's pace but running consistent with or ahead of their five-year averages, according to USDA NASS's weekly Crop Progress report released on Monday.

CORN

-- Crop development: Corn dented was estimated at 85%, 2 percentage points ahead of last year's 83% and 1 percentage point behind the five-year average of 86%. Corn mature was pegged at 41%, 2 percentage points behind last year's 43% and equal to the five-year average. Nebraska is lagging at 82% dented, which is under their five-year average of 91%.

-- Harvest progress: Corn harvest moved ahead 3 percentage points last week to reach 7% complete as of Sunday. That is 1 point behind last year's 8% and equal to the five-year average. Illinois' crop was 5% harvested, and Iowa's crop was just 3% harvested.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 67% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition nationwide, down 1 point from the previous week of 68%. Nine percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, unchanged from the previous week but 3 points below 12% from last year. Iowa and Indiana's corn crops were rated 79% and 58% good to excellent, respectively.

SOYBEANS

-- Crop development: Soybeans dropping leaves were pegged at 41%, equal to last year's pace and 1 point ahead of the five-year average of 40%. As with corn, Nebraska is lagging in soybeans reaching maturity.

-- Harvest progress: In its first soybean harvest report of the season, NASS estimated 5% of the crop was harvested as of Sunday, 1 point behind last year's 6% and 2 points ahead of the five-year average of 3%. Louisiana and Mississippi were leading at 63% and 43% harvested, while Illinois was 3% harvested, and Iowa was 1%.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 63% of soybeans were in good-to-excellent condition, down 1 point from 64% the previous week and previous year. Eleven percent of soybeans were rated very poor to poor, up 1 point from the previous week's 10% and equal to the previous year. Illinois and Iowa soybeans were rated at 50% and 75% good to excellent.

SPRING WHEAT

-- Harvest progress: Spring wheat harvest moved ahead 9 percentage points last week to reach 94% complete as of Sunday. That was 3 percentage points ahead of last year's pace of 91% and 2 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 92%. Minnesota and South Dakota are both 100% harvested. North Dakota is 92% harvested, and Montana is 93%.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Planting progress: Winter wheat planting jumped ahead 6 points last week to reach 11% nationwide as of Sunday, 2 points behind last year and the five-year average of 13%. Washington's winter wheat planting is the furthest along at 50%, with South Dakota second at 23% complete, followed by Colorado at 20%.

THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

Rainfall this week will be a hinderance for some and a benefit for others, as warm temperatures and a slow-moving system bring mixed conditions across the country, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

"The weather this week will be good for some folks and poor for others," Baranick said. "For a lot of us now, rainfall will hinder progress on maturing and harvest. Some areas across the far north could use a rain, but for the vast majority, rainfall is no longer welcome. So, when a slow-moving system across the middle of the country continues to bring scattered showers and potential areas of heavy rain, that should be seen as a hindrance to crop development now. That is most likely west of the Mississippi River, but that meandering storm system should migrate to the Midwest this weekend, bringing showers farther east into early next week.

"For those with winter crops to plant, the rainfall should be seen as beneficial. Part of the southwestern Plains should find beneficial showers this week. Soft red winter wheat areas in the Delta and the Midwest will find showers later this week and weekend to be more beneficial in those regards. Winter wheat areas in the Pacific Northwest could use more precipitation for planting and early growth and could see a little both early and late this week.

"Regardless of the rainfall, temperatures continue to be quite warm for mid-September and should help progress crops through to maturity if they are not too wet. The warmth should also promote better harvest conditions as well."

National Crop Progress Summary
	This	Last	Last	5-Year
	Week	Week	Year	Avg.
Corn Dented	85	74	83	86
Corn Mature	41	25	43	41
Corn Harvested	7	4	8	7
Soybeans Dropping Leaves	41	21	41	40
Soybeans Harvested	5	NA	6	3
Spring Wheat Harvested	94	85	91	92
Winter Wheat Planted	11	5	13	13
Cotton Bolls Opening	50	40	52	49
Cotton Harvested	9	8	10	8
Sorghum Coloring	81	71	83	83
Sorghum Mature	44	37	45	42
Sorghum Harvested	22	20	24	23
Sugarbeets Harvested	8	NA	7	8
Oats Harvested	95	94	97	98
Barley Harvested	95	87	93	94
Rice Harvested	61	45	63	46
Peanuts Harvested	3	1	2	3

**

National Crop Condition Summary
(VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent)
	This Week						Last Week						Last Year
	VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E
Corn	3	6	24	50	17		3	6	23	49	19		4	8	23	49	16
Soybeans	3	8	26	50	13		3	7	26	50	14		3	8	25	52	12
Cotton	4	10	34	42	10		2	9	35	46	8		10	16	35	34	5
Peanuts	1	7	28	54	10		1	6	28	54	11		1	7	32	52	8
Sorghum	3	7	25	46	19		3	7	25	47	18		9	14	33	37	7