Bryce Anderson

Late summer 2025 through spring 2026 was the sixth driest on record in the Lower 48 states.

The past 10-month period in the Lower 48 U.S. states has been remarkable for dryness. In fact, it's been so dry that August 2025 through May 2026 now ranks as the sixth driest such period on record for the contiguous United States. This analysis is featured in the USDA Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin posted June 9 for the week of May 31-June 6.

Hundreds of ocean weather and climate monitors are being taken out of the North Pacific and North Atlantic.

Areas of dryness in parts of the northern Corn Belt are a continued possibility for summer 2026.

Precipitation forecasts for Central America, including Lake Gatun in Panama, call for below-normal amounts through the rest of this year. (Getty

El Nino may be playing a part in the western U.S. monsoon outlook for this year.

Mixed rain and heat lead to concern about trendline yield prospects for 2026 harvest.

July 2026 is in the final days — and it's been a notably dry and warm month.

Flooding July rain in the Southern Plains bypassed most crop areas.

The hottest U.S. July on record keeps low runoff prospects in place for the Upper Missouri Basin.