Minnesota drought improves, but rain falls in the wrong places

Heavy rains last week brought some improvement to the drought situation, but much of the state still remains dry as we head into fall.

Rain falls but not where it’s most needed

Despite a heavy soaking of rainfall last week, the needed moisture largely missed the areas where drought is most entrenched. Southeastern Minnesota received 6 to 8 inches of rain in some locations, leading to the complete elimination of drought conditions across much of the region.

About 12.5 percent of the state is now classified as having no drought, up from a little over 7 percent last week. Moderate drought declined from about 71 percent to 67 percent, while severe drought eased to 30 percent, down from roughly 33 percent last week.

Parts of the southeastern metro also saw the removal of extreme drought conditions.

Our week-to-week comparison map highlights the areas of improvement, particularly across southeastern and southwestern Minnesota, while much of central and northern Minnesota continue to see more persistent drought.

Central and northern Minnesota continue to be a concern, with more rainfall needed to ease the drought. The latest outlook shows that some areas could need 4 to 13 inches of precipitation over the next two months to eliminate drought conditions.

More rain is on the way. The seven-day precipitation forecast shows several rounds of rain across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, with some areas potentially picking up substantial amounts. If rain falls in the areas still experiencing drought, this could be very beneficial.