Map: Winter Wheat Area Affected by Drought Slowly Declining

The portion of US winter wheat area affected by drought is continuing to tick lower, although the big picture remains largely unchanged from the past few months and last fall. 

As the map below shows, an estimated 53% of nationwide winter wheat areas were impacted by drought as of March 14. That is down just a couple of points from a week earlier and close to one and two months ago, when drought was impacting 57% and 59% of US winter wheat area. 

In fact, the amount of national winter wheat area affected by drought now is almost the same as mid-September (54%) when farmers were first starting to plant the crop that will be harvested this summer. The percentage increased in October and peaked in November at 75% before gradually beginning to ease through December and the first part of the New Year.