STURGIS, S.D. – The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map showed a slight increase in the number of drought areas across our area.
The current map shows Sturgis and western Meade County still in moderate drought, or D1 conditions. However, the area of Severe Drought grew a little bit in central and northern Meade County. Moderate to Severe Drought conditions have actually pushed South to include almost all of Jackson County and a portion of Bennett County.
The pocket of resistance in the Southern Black Hills is shrinking as abnormally dry conditions start to creep in from the Oglala Grasslands.
Northeastern Wyoming has also seen an expansion of extreme drought conditions to now include most of Campbell County.
The worst of the drought in South Dakota is in north-central, where Walworth, Campbell, McPherson and Edmunds are all under D3, or extreme drought.
The future outlook does not favor conditions getting any better.
The 6-10 day outlook that covers next week and into the Fourth of July weekend indicates hotter and drier than normal conditions.
