40 Percent Of Missouri Now Abnormally Dry

Drought conditions in Missouri as of September 21st, 2021. (The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.)

The weekly USDA Drought Monitor has pre-drought conditions impacting all or part of 78 Missouri counties as of Tuesday. The largest patch of dryness covers most of central Missouri, stretching from Savannah to Shelbyville in the north, Clinton to Sullivan in the south, and nearly all of Camden County. Southwest Missouri is also impacted, though a band of improved conditions has developed in southwest Jasper, western Newton, and central McDonald counties. More areas of South Central Missouri also entered pre-drought conditions, with Dent, Texas, northern Howell, northern Shannon, and westernmost Iron counties now in this stage.

There were improvements in the northeast, as areas of Clark, Lewis, and Marion counties exited pre-drought stage. Northern Monroe, northeastern Randolph, and eastern Shelby counties are also at normal moisture levels. While forty percent of Missouri is in abnormal dryness, the state remains out of moderate or worse drought conditions.