There is still plenty of time before spring planting, but abnormal dryness and drought remains stubbornly entrenched across the Dakotas.
Released today, the latest US drought monitor shows abnormal dryness afflicting more than two-thirds of North Dakota, with more than half of the state impacted by some form of drought (see map below). Those numbers have remained little changed since the end of November and represent a stark departure from early June, when abnormal dryness and drought impacted less than 9% and 3% of the state, respectively.
The situation in South Dakota is even worse, with 100% of the state being in some form of drought since early November. Like North Dakota, South Dakota went from being little affected by abnormal dryness and drought in June to the current levels.
Meanwhile, the latest season drought outlook from the US Climate Prediction Center suggests drought will persist across all of South Dakota and much of North Dakota for the remainder of February and through March and April as well.
The Dakotas experienced hot, dry conditions through much of the fall harvest, helping to set the stage for the current dryness.
Bitterly cold weather was prevailing across much of the US northern Plains this morning, with portions of South Dakota without snow and the winter wheat crop vulnerable to damage as a result. Some light snow is in the forecast through the middle of next week but no major storms. Temperatures are expected to moderate next week.
