# Drought is Intensifying in Illinois | Illinois State Climatologist | Illinois State Water Survey | Prairie Research Institute

> The Illinois State Climatologist reports that an extremely dry August and early fall intensified drought across central and southern Illinois, with flash drought in the south. River levels on the Kaskaskia, Sangamon and Mackinaw dropped near or below low stage, and fire and blowing dust risks increased ahead of harvest. Soil moisture is well below normal at monitoring stations.

- Date: 2025-09-11 · published 2025-09-11T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: weather · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/13060-drought-is-intensifying-in-illinois-illinois-state-climatologist-illinois-state
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Drought stress during the late growing season threatens yields for corn and soybeans in Illinois, and low river levels can disrupt barge movements. Both factors support firmer grain and meal prices.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bullish ▲
- CORN: bullish ▲
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2024-09-12 | [Drought is Back in Illinois \| Illinois State Climatologist \| Illinois State Water Survey \| Prairie Research Institute](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13154-drought-is-back-in-illinois-illinois-state-climatologist-illinois-state-water.md) | +4.9% | +5.1% |
| CORN | 2020-05-04 | [The Dry April That Wasn't \| Illinois State Climatologist Illinois State Water Survey 
 PRI 
 Illinois](https://feedsoft.ai/events/52966-the-dry-april-that-wasn-t-illinois-state-climatologist-illinois-state-water.md) | +1.9% | +1.9% |
| CORN | 2019-06-03 | [May 2019: Exceptionally Wet and Stormy Across Illinois \| Illinois State Climatologist Illinois State Water Survey 
 PRI 
 Illinois](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58457-may-2019-exceptionally-wet-and-stormy-across-illinois-illinois-state.md) | -1.9% | +1.4% |
| CORN | 2019-11-01 | [November 2019 – Illinois State Climatologist](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55893-november-2019-illinois-state-climatologist.md) | +0.4% | +0.3% |
| CORN | 2018-02-15 | [Outlook for Spring and Summer from NWS – Illinois State Climatologist](https://feedsoft.ai/events/66348-outlook-for-spring-and-summer-from-nws-illinois-state-climatologist.md) | -0.2% | +4.5% |
| SOY | 2024-09-12 | [Drought is Back in Illinois \| Illinois State Climatologist \| Illinois State Water Survey \| Prairie Research Institute](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13154-drought-is-back-in-illinois-illinois-state-climatologist-illinois-state-water.md) | +3.5% | +4.1% |
| SOY | 2020-05-04 | [The Dry April That Wasn't \| Illinois State Climatologist Illinois State Water Survey 
 PRI 
 Illinois](https://feedsoft.ai/events/52966-the-dry-april-that-wasn-t-illinois-state-climatologist-illinois-state-water.md) | +0.2% | -0.8% |
| SOY | 2019-06-03 | [May 2019: Exceptionally Wet and Stormy Across Illinois \| Illinois State Climatologist Illinois State Water Survey 
 PRI 
 Illinois](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58457-may-2019-exceptionally-wet-and-stormy-across-illinois-illinois-state.md) | -2.4% | +2.5% |

## Sources

- stateclimatologist.isws.illinois.edu: https://stateclimatologist.isws.illinois.edu/2025/09/11/drought-is-intensifying-in-illinois/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.