Nearly Half Of Missouri Is In Drought

Drought conditions in Missouri as of May 30th, 2023. (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.)

A lack of rainfall for a good deal of Missouri last week sent all or parts of 18 counties into extreme drought. That’s according to the latest US Drought Monitor issued Thursday morning, which has 6.74 percent of Missouri in the third stage of drought. Joining Columbia and Tipton in this stage are areas stretching from Jefferson City to Marshall, including all of Cooper, Moniteau and Pettis counties. All of Johnson County east of Route 131 has also fallen into extreme drought. Another patch of extreme drought has appeared in northern Knox and southern Scotland counties, also impacting the corners of Clark and Lewis counties.

Severe drought now bends through much of Northeast Missouri, ranging from northern Scotland and a majority of Schuyler counties east to Marion and Ralls counties, then south through Monroe and Audrain counties to an established severe drought patch stretching from Gasconade west to a majority of Jackson and Cass counties. Moderate drought now dominates the acreage in north central Missouri, as well as St Charles, Warren, northern Franklin, and northern St Louis counties, while abnormal dryness returned to counties along the Arkansas border and an area ranging from Mississippi County to central Bollinger County.

49.6 percent of Missouri is now in some stage of drought, including 23 percent in severe or extreme drought. Another 35 percent of the state is in abnormal dryness. This week’s update comes on the heels of Missouri Governor Mike Parson issuing a statewide drought alert, less than three months removed from rescinding the previous alert.