Winter Storm Alleviates Drought Conditions

The winter storm that rolled through Missouri on New Year’s Day provided significant improvement to areas that finished 2020 parched. USDA’s Drought Monitor indicates that most areas of northern Missouri that were in moderate drought have been upgraded to abnormally dry, except for western Holt and much of Atchison counties. Eighteen counties have exited abnormally dry conditions in their entirety. However, the largest concentration of abnormal dryness remains in Northeast and Central Missouri, stretching as far west as Sweet Springs and south as Clarksburg. In total, 18.2% of the state is in drought or abnormal dryness.