Throughout the fall, farmers were faced with drought, leading to a quick harvest and trimming yields. Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford shares that since late August, the northern two-thirds of the state have seen rainfall amounts five to ten inches below average.
“Western Illinois has only picked up around two inches of rain over that time period, which is less than 25% of normal. It has been pretty dry, especially in September and October – November has been a little bit better, but certainly not anything like a washout,” says Ford. “And while that has helped with a pretty timely harvest for most places, some folks who are getting in the field are finding their beans were drier than they expected.”
As meteorological fall comes to an end on November 30th, Ford says the focus now turns to whether winter can deliver the steady precipitation needed to rebuild soil moisture and ease drought conditions heading into spring.
