MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — Multiple rounds of heavy rain have chased away extreme drought from Davison and Hanson Counties.
It marks a stark change in just seven days. The newest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows severe drought, a step below extreme, still covering about half of Davison County and two-thirds of Hanson and McCook Counties. The rest is in moderate drought, the least significant category. Readings are taken on Tuesday morning, and heavy rain has fallen since with more expected early on in the holiday weekend. Things should only improve further heading into the next update.
Severe drought has replaced extreme drought in Douglas and Hutchinson Counties to the south. Extreme drought still maintains a narrow stranglehold along the Nebraska border to the east of the Missouri River and in the southwest corner of the state, about 4.25% of South Dakota overall.
The Drought Monitor warns that even abnormally dry conditions are enough to stunt grain growth. Yields begin to decline in moderate drought and water supplies for cattle out in the pasture dry up, meaning the region isn’t out of the woods yet.