Farm Director KC Sheperd features comments from USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey and USDA’s Rod Bane about the latest topsoil moisture report.
While there were no changes week over week in USDA’s Topsoil Moisture Condition Ratings with a period ending August 18th coming in at short to very short ratings at 37 % and surplus topsoil moisture at 6%; however, according to Rippey, there are varying points by region.
“As we move to the dryer side of the equation, we did see hit-or-miss showers in various areas of the country, but the general trend across the south and central United States has been towards drying in recent weeks,” he stated.
In the southern Atlantic and Northeast regions, there is still lingering, yet diminishing topsoil moisture as the impacts of Hurricane Debbie begin to subside.
“In South Carolina last week, we were at 54 percent surplus. That number has dropped to 38 percent by the 18th of August. Similarly in North Carolina, there was a 64 percent surplus a week ago, but that number has dropped to 30 percent. There is still some lingering wetness also in the Northeast,” he added.
He said that the southern-tier states include an increasing number of states with greater than 50% topsoil moisture very short to short. Those states are led by Texas at 75%, New Mexico at 70%, and Louisiana has increased 29 points over the past week to 65%.
In the Northwest, there are an increasing number of states showing at least two-thirds topsoil moisture short to very short, led by Oregon at 81% and followed by Montana at 78% and Wyoming at 75% and Washington state at 69%.
The Midwest mostly continues to avoid the dryness, but Ohio is up to 57% very short to short, a 17-point increase from the previous week. In the central Appalachians, West Virginia is still quite dry at 87% very short to short.
Some areas in Western Oklahoma and near the Panhandle have soil moisture in the bottom 2% second percentile, however other parts of the state are in much better shape. In the Eastern part of the state, several areas are in the 90th – 95th percentile for soil moisture. In fact, the majority of the state is leaning in the 20th – 30th percentile.
To check the soil moisture in your area on any day of the year, visit mesonet.org.
