Drought Conditions Continue to Worsen in Southeastern Minnesota

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Undated (KROC-AM News) -  The areas of Minnesota experiencing exceptional drought conditions continued to grow over the past week and much of the growth occurred in southeastern Minnesota.

The updated US Drought Monitor shows about 26% of the state has conditions dry enough to be rated at the very top of the scale used by the widely viewed report. Exceptional drought conditions now covered nearly all of Mower County, more than three-quarters of Fillmore County, along with portions of Houston and Freeborn Counties.

Most of the rest of the region, including all of Olmsted County, is experiencing extreme drought conditions. The only exceptions involve the counties adjacent to the Mississippi River and along the I-35 corridor.

The new Drought Monitor map shows exceptional drought conditions also continue to be found in northeastern Minnesota in an area southwest of Duluth. Extreme drought conditions continue to be detected in a large area of central Minnesota and east-central Minnesota.

Statewide, almost 95% of the land area in Minnesota is experiencing at least moderate drought conditions

A weather system developing over the northwestern corner of the US is offering some hope for significant precipitation this coming weekend. At the last report, the National Weather Service was looking at a 30 to 60-percent chance of at least a half inch of rain starting Saturday night and extending through Sunday in southeastern Minnesota.