Slow-Moving Drought Returning to California, Expanding in Midwest

We've mentioned a preference for the Palmer Drought Index presentation of conditions for some applications, despite a somewhat justified concern the methodology behind it is 'simplistic' when compared with the University of Nebraska U.S. Drought Monitor.
Here they are side by side:

And the progression of the PDI over the last year at NOAA.

For money-making purposes the area to watch will be the Iowa-Illinois-Missouri portion of the corn belt.

More to come.