Minnesota's drought conditions improve with recent rainfall
MINNEAPOLIS -- Rain and milder temperatures helped improve drought conditions across the Midwest, including in Minnesota.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, central Minnesota saw the most improvement due to recent heavy precipitation, with some areas getting 2 to 5 inches of rain.
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As of Tuesday morning, multiple areas of extreme drought have retreated, leaving only a section in southeastern Minnesota. Areas of severe drought remain in the southeast, as well as north-central and east-central regions.
Notably, for the first time since July 4, there are a few spots not classified within a drought category.
"Despite our progress, we still have a lot of ground to make up," WCCO Meteorologist Joseph Dames said.
🌽🌧️For the first time since 7-04, there are a few spots that are not classified within a drought/dryness cat. Despite our progress, we still have a lot of ground to make up. @WCCO
— Joseph Dames (@JosephForecast) August 17, 2023
Current Drought Categories %
D0 – Dry
20.2
D1 – Mod.
45.8
D2 – Severe.
31.2
D3 – Extreme
2.8 pic.twitter.com/pu7gxsF1Ya
About 4.7 million people are living in areas of drought in Minnesota.