Minnesota Drought Conditions Expand Into Rochester Area

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - As the dry spell continues, drought conditions have become wide spread across Minnesota and the Rochester area is now included in the areas experiencing a moderate drought.

The updated Drought Monitor issued weekly by NOAA, the US Department of Agriculture, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows more than 70% of the state is now experiencing either moderate or severe drought conditions. 97% of the state is rated as being at least abnormally dry.

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In southeastern Minnesota, nearly all of Olmsted County, all of Goodhue and Dodge Counties, most of Wabasha County, and approximately half of Mower and Houston Counties have moderate drought conditions. Most of Winona and Fillmore counties are abnormally dry.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.

The worst drought conditions statewide are found in northeastern and north central Minnesota, along with the far southwestern corner of the state. Only the far northwestern corner and a sliver of far northern Minnesota near International Falls do not have any drought conditions at this time.

TSM-Rochester

The last time the Rochester area received any meaningful rain was on September 19 when a little over 7-tenths of an inch of rain was recorded at the Rochester Airport. The total for the entire month of September was just over three-quarters of an inch, while the monthly precipitation total is 3.6 inches.

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