(Flickr Photo by jolynne_martinez)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A growing season that began unusually wet and cold in the Midwest is finishing hot and dry, renewing worries of drought and its impact on crops. Experts say corn and soybeans may not have enough moisture in dry areas to develop to full weight, which could reduce this year's harvest. The weekly Drought Monitor report released Thursday shows that lack of rain has caused drought conditions to expand in parts of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, and most of Minnesota and Wisconsin. It also shows that abnormally dry conditions have expanded in eastern Iowa and South Dakota. Rain eased drought in portions of northern Nebraska, but much of the western half of the state remain in extreme drought. But the drought monitor showed improvement in some states, including Kansas.