Abnormal Dryness Along Missouri’s Borders

Areas along Missouri’s western and eastern borders are now impacted by abnormal dryness. The weekly drought monitor from the USDA indicates that areas of Southwest Missouri along Interstate 49 have entered pre-drought stage, stretching from Northwest Arkansas all the way to parts of Kansas City. This also includes portions of Buchanan, Clay, Clinton and Platte counties across the river. Abnormal dryness also extends as far east as Marionville and Shell Knob.

Rain last week in Saint Louis diminished dry conditions for the city and most of the county, but portions of northern Saint Louis County and the rural eastern portion of Saint Charles County remain abnormally dry. Pre-drought conditions also appeared this week in a majority of Perry, Saint Francois and Sainte Genevieve counties. Slightly more than 13 percent of Missouri is considered abnormally dry, a 9.5 point increase from last week. No part of the state has entered drought conditions.