According to today's Drought Monitor report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a rapid expansion and intensification of short-term drought is ongoing throughout Missouri with much of the central and northern parts of the state receiving less than two inches of precipitation during the past 60 days when seasonal temperatures begin to warm.
Based on 30 to 60-day SPI, NDMC’s short-term objective drought blend, and CPC soil moisture, a 1-category degradation was made to a majority of Missouri.
The addition of extreme short-term drought (D3) to central Missouri was supported by 60-day SPI, CPC soil moisture, USGS 28-day average streamflow below the 5th percentile, and NDMC’s short-term drought blend.
Locally heavy rainfall (1.5 to 2 inches, or more) in parts of southwest and northern Missouri resulted in no change from the previous week or small improvements.
Farther to the north across central to southeastern Iowa, heavy rainfall (1.5 inches or more) led to a decrease in abnormal dryness (D0).
The exceptional drought (D4) was removed from the southwest corner of Iowa due the lack of support from long-term indicators. D0 was reduced across parts of Illinois and adjacent Indiana where rainfall amounts exceeded 1.5 inches this past week.
A slight D0 expansion was necessary near Lake Michigan where less than 0.5 inch of rainfall was observed. Based on improving long-term indicators, D0 was reduced across northern Minnesota. Increasing short-term precipitation deficits led to a slight expansion of moderate drought (D1) for southwestern Minnesota.
Although there are increasing 30 to 60-day precipitation deficits across eastern Kentucky, the consensus of indicators supports no addition of D0 at this time.