According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, frequent rounds of heavy rainfall occurred from the Northeast into the central Mississippi valley, into southern Missouri and the upper Midwest. The continuing wet conditions are improving drought across parts of the Corn Belt and much of the southern and central Midwest. Farther to the north, drought continues to intensify across northern Wisconsin, North Dakota, Montana and Washington.
Eastern parts of the High Plains saw the benefits of this week’s precipitation along with below-normal temperatures. Kansas saw heavy precipitation continue from last week, bringing further improvements to the east and central regions. Areas near Kansas City saw upwards of 3 inches of precipitation, while the southeast areas received 4 to 7 inches of rain, carrying over improvements seen in Oklahoma.
Some improvements occurred along parts of the Nebraska-South Dakota border. Both southeast and northeast South Dakota saw improvement from heavy rainfall and improving soil moisture. This improvement bled over in southeast North Dakota, where areas of D0 were removed due to heavy precipitation. Little precipitation was received further north. Continual soil moisture and streamflow impacts led to D1 and D2 expansions.
Widespread improvements were seen throughout the Midwest due to precipitation and at- or below-normal temperatures. Large parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota saw heavy precipitation. Southeastern Wisconsin and central Minnesota saw areas of 2 to nearly 5 inches of rain, aiding short-term dry conditions. Northwest Wisconsin had slight expansion of D3 and D4 along Lake Superior.
National Drought Mitigation Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
