Drought Leaps Back Into A Third Of Missouri

Drought conditions in Missouri as of Feb. 27th, 2024. (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.)

Moderate drought is now in a third of Missouri according to this week’s US Drought Monitor. Thursday morning’s update shows the first stage of drought conditions covering 33.8 percent of the state, including along the Mississippi River from southeastern Clark to most of Pike counties, then stretching west to eastern Macon and Randolph counties. Boone along with eastern Cooper, Howard and Moniteau, as well as western Callaway counties, now bridge the two established patches of drought between Northeast and Southern Missouri. Drought also moved southeast to enter all of Bollinger, Iron, Madison, Reynolds and Wayne, along with northern Carter, and central Shannon and Texas counties. Western Perry County also re-entered moderate drought, as did areas of St Louis City and County south of Interstate 70, and portions of St Charles County along the Missouri River.

Abnormal dryness made its return to nearly everywhere else north of the Missouri River, along with a wide swath of western Missouri. 51.8 percent of Missouri is in pre-drought condition, leaving just under 14.5 percent of the state in normal or excess moisture.