Severe Drought A Humbug To Over One-Third Of Missouri

Drought conditions in Missouri as of Dec. 12th, 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.)

Drought conditions worsened across Southern Missouri as over a third of the state is now in severe or extreme drought. The weekly US Drought Monitor update finds that severe drought now stretches across Missouri’s mid-section, with areas from eastern Laclede to northern Perry, and south to northern Shannon and central Reynolds counties, all entering the second level of drought conditions. All of Butler, Carter, Stoddard and Wayne counties, along with southern Bollinger, southern Cape Girardeau, northern Dunklin, western Scott, and a majority of New Madrid counties, fell into moderate drought. Only the southern tips of Mississippi and New Madrid counties were spared a downgrade, as the remaining areas of Missouri not yet in some stage of drought entered abnormal dryness.

Extreme drought conditions also spread, with northeastern Maries and south central Osage counties receiving a downgrade. 1.3 percent of Missouri is in this stage, up 0.3 points from last week. 35.1 percent of the state is in severe drought, up 11.4 points. 38.1 percent of the state is in moderate drought, leaving 25.4 percent in abnormal dryness.