Monroe City, Columbia Escape Abnormally Dry Condition

Drought conditions in Missouri as of February 22nd, 2022. (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.)

Ten counties in central and northeast Missouri saw an end to abnormally dry conditions in the past week, according to the most recent US Drought Monitor. The weekly update indicates that pre-drought conditions are no longer present in Marion County, as well as eastern Monroe and Shelby, central Audrain, and most of Boone counties. Pre-drought conditions also disappeared from Cole and Miller counties, as well as eastern Morgan County and all but westernmost Moniteau County. Also upgraded from abnormally dry condition was a stretch of land from northern Phelps County northeast to Saint Charles that had briefly fallen into severe drought.

31.6 percent of Missouri remains in abnormally dry condition, including Macon and Randolph counties, both of which have been in this condition for almost six months. However, no part of Missouri fell into moderate or worse drought conditions.