U.S. Drought Monitor map released August 20, 2026. Courtesy: U.S. Drought Monitor
MOORHEAD, Minn. (KFGO-KVRR-WCCO) – Farmers and water officials across the Red River Valley are grappling with a rapidly worsening drought that climatologists warn is among the driest stretches in nearly a century.
In eastern North Dakota, extreme drought across Cass and Traill counties has left crops performing so poorly that some farmers are baling failing fields for hay rather than harvesting them. North Dakota State Climatologist Daryl Ritchison said the region is more than 8 inches below average rainfall since May 1, making this summer the driest stretch for the area since the 1930s.
Across the border, Minnesota State Climatologist Luigi Romolo identified the Fargo-Moorhead area as experiencing the state’s worst “flash drought”, a rapid-onset event driven by high temperatures and lack of rain that has left the area 4 to 6 inches below normal precipitation since mid-June. Clay, Norman, and Polk counties are now classified in “extreme drought”.
Minnesota officials have placed five major watersheds into a drought warning phase: the Mississippi Headwaters, Missouri Big Sioux, Rainy River, Western Lake Superior, and St. Croix watersheds.
The prolonged dry spell is affecting agriculture, lake levels, and stream flows across Minnesota. Under the state’s drought response plan, public water suppliers in the five designated watersheds are required to implement conservation measures aimed at keeping water consumption below 150% of January levels.
With near-term forecasts offering little relief heading into harvest, officials warn conditions could soon rival the state’s severe 2021 drought.
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