Eastern farmers may see a dry October; 1/4 of Virginia is already in drought

October 1 - Farmers in the Eastern United States have seen a wide variety of growing conditions in 2023. The month of October, however, could be dry from Alabama and Georgia all the way through the Virginias and into New England.

The latest Precipitation Outlook issued by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration is calling for a "below average" chance for normal precipitation in October east of the Mississippi River.

Forty-eight percent of Virginia is already in drought, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center. Portions of the state are either in severe drought, moderate drought, or are being described as "abnormally dry." The Northern Piedmont and the Shenandoah Valley have been the driest areas.

Images on social media depict a wide range of conditions for field crops. Earlier this summer, a farmer in Georgia set a new world record for soybean yield. Corn growers in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia have struggled with inadequate soil moisture both at the beginning of summer and at the end of summer.

The early October forecast for the Mid-Atlantic regions, according to the NWS, calls for "Dry conditions to persist, accompanied by a few passing high clouds each day."