According to the U.S. drought monitor, Michigan is suffering through persistent drought conditions. This is leaving a significant impact on crop conditions as the days get hotter and the soil gets drier.
"Currently in Michigan, we have 14% of the corn acreage and 16% of the soybean acreage rated in very poor to poor conditions," said Brad Rippey, a meteorologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "[It's] reflective of the areas that are experiencing drought."
These drought conditions may not go away as we head later into the harvest season.
But as the seasons change to winter, the impacts of the drought will be less significant because it mainly effects the agriculture, and less crops will be growing.
However, if Michigan sees a dry winter and we head into spring with pre-existing drought conditions, we could see an impact on the planting of crops.
"And so that's something we're going to keep an eye on to see if any of this drought can be alleviated before we get into the next growing season," said Brandon Hoving, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Drought conditions can also have an impact on forestry and water conditions in Michigan.
"As you move north through the state and forestry is a bigger issue, you know, a lot of times the impacts on forests are more muted because trees have a much deeper root system," Rippey said. "But if you do get a significant enough drought that lasts a long enough time period, you can start having impact on forest health."
He says it impacts water conditions because in a drought you see less rain, and with lower water levels there's issues with water quality.
Water might need more municipal treatments, like chlorine, to keep the water drinkable.
Hoving says that droughts are not just the absence of rainfall, it's a long-term chronic stress that has developed over months.
"Typically an inch or two of rain, isn't going to solve a drought problem," Hoving said. "You need not just a good day of rain, but you need kind of a pattern over several days or a few weeks to start to turn things around."
