Drought deepens in Minnesota

Drought continues to deepen in Minnesota due to lack of snow cover and precipitation since the first of the year. There’s no significant change in that pattern in sight.

Drought conditions worsen

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report for Minnesota has more bad news: 74 percent of the state is now in at least moderate drought, up from 53 percent a week ago.

The biggest changes came for the whole eastern half of the state. Almost all of northeastern Minnesota and all of the Twin Cities metro area are now in drought.

In southeastern Minnesota, parts of far southern Mower and Fillmore counties remain in extreme drought. Severe drought covers a large area of north-central and northwestern Minnesota.

The change in drought is the biggest increase since June of 2023 when drought expanded rapidly after a wet winter and spring. This is the highest proportion of the state in drought since the Oct. 3 drought monitor report.

The orange spike on the far right in the chart below is March 12 data, which indicates 74 percent of the state in at least moderate drought.

There are a couple of factors leading to the expansion of drought. One is the lack of snow cover this winter which helps to keep soils moist, the other is the lack of precipitation at all since the first of the year. The map below shows percent of normal precipitation over the past 60 days.

Many areas have seen just 15 to 35 percent of normal precipitation, translating to a broad area that is one to one and a half inches behind.

The good news is that at this time of year, we can make up these deficits quickly. Once we head into late spring and summer, as the sun gets much stronger, soils dry very quickly and it can be hard to keep up unless we get consistent moisture.