Northern Plains Dryness Expanding, Deepening

Dec 11, 2020

Along with portions of Western Canada, dryness is continuing to expand and intensify across the main US spring wheat region of the northern Plains.

According to the latest weekly update of the US drought monitor, southwestern North Dakota saw a modest expansion in areas of severe drought compared to a week earlier, as well as expansion in areas of moderate drought. Over 80% of North Dakota – the No. 1 US spring wheat producer – is now considered to be in some form of drought, including almost 60% in severe to extreme drought.

Short-term precipitation deficits, lack of seasonal snow cover, depleted soil moisture, and unseasonably warm temperatures (12 to 20 degrees F above normal) all combined to worsen conditions in the state over the past week, the monitor said. In fact, North Dakota statewide precipitation for the September-November 2020 period was the third driest on record.

Dryness also remains a problem in South Dakota, where almost 60% of the state is in some form of drought, and just under 11% in severe to extreme drought.

Almost one-third of Montana and nearly of 11% of Minnesota are also currently in drought, with abnormal dryness encompassing about 64% and 39% of each state, respectively.

Overall, almost half of the continental US was in drought as of Dec. 8, with the worst of the dryness concentrated on the western side of the country. According to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the 6-month period from June to November 2020 was the hottest and driest on record for both Arizona and California.

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