Driest June since 1973

June was an unusually dry month for Wisconsin. Farmers are still waiting for a good rain.

Last month brought rain to far northern Wisconsin, but that was an exception in an otherwise dry time. UW Extension agricultural climatologist Bill Bland says the southern quarter of the state still needs a good dose of water from Mother Nature. He says some areas are unusually dry, and some possibly close to drought. But, he says, there’s still time to turn the season around: “If we could get three inches in each of the next two months, we’d be in good shape. That would be well below the normal, but that would be adequate enough to bring in a respectable crop.”

Farmers in southwestern Wisconsin’s Juneau County are also hoping to bring in a respectable crop. UW Extension Agriculture Agent Craig Saxe says after weeks of dry weather, local farmers are still waiting for a good downpour. He says the area received .08 inch in the last week, which straightened out the leaf tips on the corn plants for a while. “That went away until a day or so ago, I’ve seen it. It’s curling again. We’re dry: We still need moisture.”