Abnormally Dry Conditions Return To Northeast Missouri, Drought Worsens To West

Dry conditions continue to impact Missouri, with a band of pre-drought conditions now splitting across Northeast and Central Missouri, while drought conditions to the west continue expanding. USDA’s weekly Drought Monitor has a wide band of abnormal dryness stretching from Saint Clair County northeast all the way to southern Clark County, with similar conditions also appearing in much of Pike and northern Monroe County, along with western Howard, eastern Saline, western Moniteau, and northern Morgan counties.

To the west and south, drought conditions expanded. Extreme drought doubled in size in Southwest Missouri, now centered on all of Lawrence County along with most of Barry and more of northern Christian and southern Greene counties. Eastern sections of Jasper, Newton and McDonald counties have also fallen into extreme drought. More of Greene and southern Webster counties declined to severe drought from moderate. In Northwest Missouri, all of Atchison County is now in moderate drought, along with the northwestern corners of neighboring Holt and Nodaway counties.

The only area of improvement was around the Saint Louis area. Franklin and northern Jefferson counties, along with south Saint Louis County and Saint Louis City, exited abnormal dry conditions, while areas of the metro that were in moderate drought were upgraded to post-drought stage. Overall, 16-and-a-half percent of Missouri is in some stage of drought, including three-point-one percent in extreme conditions. Another 38-point-three percent of the state is considered abnormally dry.