Drought conditions continue to spread across Illinois and all of Marion County is now listed as in moderate drought conditions.
The latest US Drought Monitor is out and State Climatologist Trent Ford says it’s not looking good.
“Both the areas in moderate and severe drought expanded, so currently most of central and northeast Illinois are in severe drought. About 30% of the state totals in severe drought which is the highest in quite awhile and more than 80% of the state is in some form of moderate drought.”
In addition to Marion County, all of Clinton and Washington County are in moderate drought. Most of Wayne County and Eastern Clay County along with the southeast corner of Jefferson County and the northwest corner of Fayette County are listed as abnormally dry.
Ford says the dry weather is taking its toll on crops.
“We look at corn and soybeans especially north of I-70 and hanging on is probably the best way to put it but honestly it’s getting to the point now where we are starting to see quite a bit of stress throughout the day not just later in the day when the temperatures come up.”
Ford says although the June outlook has called for average rainfall, that just hasn’t happened. He notes that July will be pivotal in seeing how bad drought conditions are going to get in Illinois. The last major statewide drought was in 2012.
