MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — Drought continues to deepen in South Dakota, with the southernmost regions of the state hardest hit.
The U.S. Drought Monitor releases new maps each Thursday based on readings that run through Tuesday. The latest numbers come from soil readings taken early in the morning on May 26th. Hot, dry weather has dominated the Mitchell area in the days since.
The latest readings show over 91% of the state is parched and looking for rain. The scale has five stages, with the second-worst being extreme drought. It is affecting from Lawrence County along the Wyoming border to the Nebraska State Line, and then over towards Bennett County. Another patch of exceptional drought is present from Gregory County towards Yankton. Extreme drought is hitting about 13% of South Dakota.
Conditions lessen through Mitchell and the surrounding areas to severe drought. All of Aurora, Davison, Hanson, and McCook Counties are in the D2 category. The Drought Monitor warns a severe drought leads to an extended fire season, with grass fires occurring frequently. Planting tends to be earlier than normal with farmers relying heavily on irrigation. The water that is available is of lower quality and ranchers run out of hay, forcing early cattle sales.
The drought continues to lessen to a moderate stage in the northern parts of Lake, Miner, and Sanborn Counties. The upper third of the state is abnormally dry, outside of a patch west of the Missouri River consisting mostly of Corson and Perkins Counties, where the soil moisture is at normal levels.
Conditions are slightly worse compared to the week before.