Modest Relief From Abnormally Dry Conditions Around North Missouri

Drought conditions in Missouri as of October 12th, 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.

All or part of 16 counties around Missouri, mostly north of the river, exited abnormally dry conditions in the past week following weekend rainfall. USDA’s Drought Monitor indicates that most areas of Northwest and North Central Missouri remain abnormally dry, and pre-drought conditions did spread into large portions of Atchison and Holt counties over the past week. However, portions of Harrison, Mercer and Putnam counties along the Iowa border, as well as all of Buchanan, Clay and Platte counties returned to normal moisture levels. In South Central Missouri, parts of Howell, Ozark, and Texas counties also improved.

Four areas of moderate drought remain across Southwest and South Central Missouri, continuing to account for 2.3 percent of the state. The area of Missouri in abnormal dryness has decreased to 38.1 percent.