Three Drought Patches Remain in SWMO

Drought conditions are much less evident in Missouri according to this week’s USDA’s Drought Monitor, with areas of Southwest Missouri seeing improvement. Three patches of moderate drought remain: one covering most of Vernon and Barton counties along with northwestern Jasper and northern Cedar counties, and smaller patches in northwestern Newton County and northern Christian County. Those patches account for 2.4 percent of the state. Another 12.8 percent of the state is abnormally dry, stretching north to Butler and east to Marshfield and Ava. Portions of Laclede, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties remain dry, along with Pemiscot and southern Dunklin counties in the Bootheel.