Latest Palmer Drought Index

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Above is the latest Palmer Drought Index with data through July 24. The drought had eased a bit in the Southwest and in Colorado. It worsened in the northern Great Plains. Meanwhile, wet conditions continue over the southeast quarter of the nation. 

Below is the "departure from normal" rainfall map for the seven days ending at 7am CDT yesterday. While it is not a perfect bridge between the end of the Palmer data collection period to now, it clearly shows the heavy rains in Arizona and adjacent areas had improvement. 
Unfortunately, the "departure" map shows that crop conditions worsened in the western corn belt. 

More drought-easing rains are forecast for the West the next five days.

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