Bismarck Daily Bismarck Daily Bismarck Daily
    • Home
    • Advertise
    • About us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    23 Oct 2025
    • Bismarck Daily Bismarck Daily Bismarck Daily
    • Local News
    • State News
    • Politics
    • Crime News
    • Coronavirus
    • Sports
    • Community
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    Extreme drought conditions expanded in North Dakota this week despite precipitation
    Politics

    Extreme drought conditions expanded in North Dakota this week despite precipitation

    Ally Dillinger, 5 years ago
    MINOT, N.D. – The Minot area received some of the highest moisture totals in the state from the recent rain and snowfall with almost an inch of precipitation in places, particularly to the northeast of the city. However, even considering the precipitation, the U.S. Drought Monitor says more moisture is needed to reverse “extreme” drought conditions.

    Statewide the area now rated in extreme drought increased from 70% to 76% with 41 of 53 counties affected. The only part of the state that saw measureable relief from the recent precipitation producing events was the far southeast corner of North Dakota where an small area rated to be in moderate drought improved to “abnormally dry”.

    Here’s the assessment of the U.S. Drought Monitor:

    “Locally heavy amounts of rainfall, more than 2 inches, helped erase long moisture deficits in eastern South Dakota and southeastern North Dakota, resulting in improvements to moderate drought.

    In the remainder of the region, precipitation wasn’t enough to prevent worsening conditions. Moderate drought expanded in South Dakota and extreme drought expanded in both North and South Dakota to reflect the growing moisture deficits and its effect on soil moisture.”

    While the moisture received in the north-central part of the state, Ward County included, was indeed welcome and will improve soil moisture conditions in the short term, longer range outlooks are not generally favorable for alleviating extreme drought conditions.

    In a Drought Briefing issued by the National Weather Service in Bismarck on Thursday, it was noted that “widespread precipitation during the past week has helped slow down degradation, and improved drought in parts of eastern North Dakota.” However, added the NWS, “drought is likely to persist or worsen through the rest of spring and into summer.”

    North Dakota has been warmer and drier than average since October 2020, resulting in soil moisture well-below average across most of the state. According to the NWS the remainder of April is favored for both “below-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation” with more equal chances for both in May.

    After that, says the NWS, “there is an increasing signal for both above-average temperatures and below-normal precipitation across the state”, conditions that would lead to drought persisting or worsening. The NWS notes that there is always a possibility of changes to weather patterns but says “there is not indication of that happening.”:

    Much of the U.S. is dry or drier than North Dakota. While recent storms have brought drought improvement to parts of the Midwest and eastern Plains, much of the West, Southwest, and New England has seen deteriorating conditions.

    “Parts of the Southwest are now experiencing record levels of dryness for the last 12 months. In New England, year-to-date precipitation ranks in the top 10 driest on record,” concludes the Drought Monitor.

    Local News

    State bill to ban types of THC in North Dakota

    Local News

    Some UND athletes begin getting COVID-19 vaccinations

    Related posts

    Politics

    Cognizant sells buildings to Minot Public Schools for second high school

    Ally Dillinger, 5 years ago
    Politics

    State board is distributing $250 million in state funds to help companies implement greener technologies

    Ally Dillinger, 4 years ago
    Politics

    ND House funds rail, kills funds aimed at Hoeven’s bank

    Ally Dillinger, 5 years ago
    Politics

    Minot City Council member speaks out after mayor’s decision to end mask mandate

    Ally Dillinger, 5 years ago
    Politics

    Minot budget amended to fund day care services for first responders, medical workers amid COVID-19 emergency

    Ally Dillinger, 6 years ago
    Politics

    Minot City Council modifies mask policy in city buildings

    Ally Dillinger, 5 years ago

    Follow us on Google News

    Follow us on Flipboard

    Trending Slider

    North Dakota educators invited to apply for worm soil conservation kits
    3 days ago
    Temporary lane closures scheduled for ND Highway 1806 project south of Mandan beginning October 20
    3 days ago
    Country West Road to close between Clydesdale Drive and Ridge Place starting October 20
    3 days ago
    Woman, who decided to foIIow a mother and her 3-year-oId whom she had never met after steaIing bIades from a nearby store before using them to infIict fataI injuries on the chiId while they were waIking to their vehicIe, is convicted
    5 days ago
    Woman died in head-on crash on Highway 52 southeast of Harvey
    6 days ago
    Bismarck engineer presented on trenchless technologies at North Dakota Water and Pollution Control Conference
    6 days ago

    Follow us on News Break

    Categories

    • Bismarck (1)
    • Community (595)
    • Coronavirus (232)
    • Crime News (306)
    • Local News (596)
    • News (15)
    • Politics (260)
    • Sports (215)
    • State News (487)
    • Trending (335)
    • Uncategorized (1)
    • Login
    • Register

    Forgot Password

    Registration is closed.