DES MOINES (AP) – The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows some southern Iowa counties are experiencing moderate drought.

A swath of northcentral Iowa already was in that state. The map shows that counties on only the western edge of Iowa have normal moisture conditions.

Des Moines commodity broker Tomm Pfitzenmaier said rain is especially needed in the next couple of weeks because nearly half of the state’s corn crop is expected to be pollinating by Independence Day.

The drought map is a project shared by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Weather Service.

The map shows the Nebraska Panhandle in moderate drought and that only the northeast side of Nebraska has normal moisture. The map data were acquired before thunderstorms moved through much of the state overnight Thursday.