Most of the Midwest is in drought. And there’s no simple way to get out of it

This year’s particularly dry spring drove a large part of the Midwest, including Missouri and Illinois, into drought.

The lack of moisture has far-reaching implications, including on agricultural production and water levels on the country's largest rivers.

“Rain is essential—it is where drought starts and ends,” said Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford. “As we were going into drought from April through June, we just weren’t getting rain.”

The present situation highlights the complexity of exiting drought when a state or region can slip into it relatively easily, Ford said. Rainfall across parts of the Midwest in recent weeks is helpful, but it may not be enough to alleviate the dryness, he said.