Recent storms have eased drought conditions in several key Midwest farming states where the corn harvest is wrapping up.
The U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly update released Thursday shows that 62.4% the lower 48 states remained mired in some form of drought during a 7-day period ending Tuesday. That's down more than a percentage point from the previous week and a welcome sign for farmers enduring the nation's worst drought in decades.
Thursday's update shows that 63.9% of Iowa, the nation's biggest corn producer, is still in extreme or exceptional drought, which are the worst two classifications. That's down nearly 12%age points from a week earlier.
Those two categories fell in Kansas from 95.7% last week to 77.8% now.