Abnormally Dry Conditions Reappear Across Northern Missouri

Drought conditions in Missouri as of May 4th, 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.)

Areas along and north of Route 6 across Northern Missouri have re-appeared on the USDA’s weekly Drought Monitor as experiencing abnormal dryness. Thursday’s update indicates that 6.2 percent of Missouri is in pre-drought conditions, including all of Holt, Nodaway and Schuyler counties, as well as most of Gentry, Harrison, Sullivan, and Worth counties. Northern Adair, western Andrew, northern Grundy, northwestern Mercer, and eastern Putnam counties are also impacted. No part of Missouri has entered drought stage.

Abnormally dry conditions across Northern Missouri come amid a resurgence of drought conditions in neighboring states. Iowa now has 36.9 percent of the state in drought and another 41.6 percent in abnormally dry conditions. Three out of five acres in Nebraska are abnormally dry or in drought. A majority of Kansas is now considered dry, including 9.6 percent in moderate or severe drought. 12 percent of Illinois is in moderate drought, while another 31 percent is abnormally dry.