Regional Relief Noticed In U.S. Drought Monitor

Rains experienced last week and earlier this week took away all of the Missouri counties within our listening area that were in an Abnormally Dry category according to this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday morning. While most of our listening area moved out of the category, several other parts of the state stayed in the category or regressed. The Missouri acreage now in a D-1, or Moderate Drought, category increased from 2 to 9 percent. In total, 35 percent of Missouri acreage is considered in some form of drought.

 

 

Iowa’s situation appears much worse. Most of western Iowa is at least in one category of drought. 8 percent of the state is in D2, or Severe Drought. Most of that acreage is in west central Iowa. Another 22 percent of the state is in D1, or Moderate Drought. Another 24 percent is considered Abnormally Dry. That area includes a large part of Decatur County, the northern half of Wayne County, a small section of Ringgold County, and the northern tiers of Taylor and Page counties.

 

The forecast calls for a dry weekend. There will be some chances of rain in both Missouri and Iowa in the early part of next week.