The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map released May 28 indicates that areas in the U.S. experiencing some degree of drought (D0-D4) has increased to 34.35 percent. When compared to the same week a year ago, when only 12.10 percent of the U.S. was experiencing drought, that is a 22.25 percent increase in one year.
Areas in the U.S. experiencing severe to exceptional drought (D2-D4) is 7.18 percent with 1.24 percent considered extreme drought (D3) but no areas were classified as exceptional drought (D4). At the same time last year, no part of the U.S. was classified as severe to exceptional drought (D2-D4).
The western U.S. is the bulk of the area experiencing drought with the Drought Monitor stating that 58.41 percent of the region is under drought-like conditions (D0-D4). The 45.56 percent increase from the same week last year is concerning.
California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Utah are experiencing the worst conditions in the western U.S. with more than half of each state suffering. Over 90 percent of Oregon and Utah are in drought while in Colorado and Nevada it is over three-quarters of the state.
Parts of the High Plains and South regions are encountering dryness, but it is mostly affecting western Kansas and the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas.
[inline_image file=”efdb66b1e9c0664f98f0e4c1c032f886.jpg” caption=”droughtmap2″]
The Drought Monitor provides a backward-looking weekly assessment of conditions in the U.S. which is based on the amount of precipitation that did or did not fall. Information provided by the Drought Monitor can potentially provide insights into possible longer-term trends that may be developing along with possible changes to crop and range/pasture conditions across the U.S.
In May, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) started releasing weekly survey-based range and pasture conditions providing a short-term outlook for potential changes to grazing areas.
The NASS weekly release of range and pasture conditions for the U.S. will continue through October. The information classifies range and pasture conditions into five categories: very poor, poor, fair, good and excellent. Since the start of May, U.S. range and pasture conditions considered to be poor and very poor have remained at 16 percent, which is above the same time last year and the five-year average.
In the Western region, 17.13 percent of range and pasture were considered in poor and very poor condition at the start of May, but the situation has steadily worsened with the first week of June at 22 percent, now above the five-year average and last year. Typically, the pattern for poor and very poor conditions in the Western region will deteriorate through the summer months with the worst occurring in mid-September.
Although the range and pasture condition data provide a short-term glimpse and the Drought Monitor is a longer-term perspective, both pieces of information are useful for livestock producers. The upward trend of poor and very poor range and pasture conditions in the Western region and the significant amount of the area facing some degree of drought is noteworthy.
The impacts of COVID-19 on the livestock sector are still playing out and some cattle producers may consider keeping cattle on pasture for a longer duration. As part of the decision process, it may be prudent to closely monitor the current drought situation along with range and pasture conditions.
Both pieces of information are pointing towards worsening conditions in the western U.S. which may result in producers being forced to place cattle in feedlots due to a lack of available feed supplies. — Tyler Cozzens, Livestock Marketing Information Center agricultural economist
