As harvest begins across parts of the Deep Southeast, farmers in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia are now contending with D1 drought status, adding pressure to an already intense season. With high temperatures lingering and limited rainfall, the USDA is monitoring conditions closely. However, there may be relief on the horizon, according to USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.
“Now, for other parts of the country, it is still rather hot across the Deep South. We are seeing early week temperatures that have been approaching or even reaching 100 degrees in parts of central, southern, and eastern Texas. It’s not unprecedented, but somewhat unusual for late September, and some of that 90 to 95 degree heat extending eastward across the Deep South all the way to the southern Atlantic coast.”
While the heat has helped push summer crop maturation, it’s also led to increased drought stress, particularly in row crops and pasture conditions.
“So, when you look at it in the perspective of agriculture, that’s great weather for summer crop maturation and harvesting, but now parts of the Deep South are slipping into that drought that has been affecting areas further north, so we eventually could use some moisture.”
The good news? A cold front may soon bring meaningful rainfall to the region.
“Looks like that will come later this week as the cold front that’s been responsible for some of this rain in the midsection shifts southward and brings anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of rain later this week across much of the south, the east.”
This rainfall could bring a much-needed boost to soil moisture levels, helping with winter grazing establishment, late crop maturity, digging peanuts, and pasture recovery. Growers in the Southeast drought zones will be watching closely as the forecast plays out.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.