Moderate Drought Stretches Into Central Minnesota

(KNSI) – The drought is worsening in central Minnesota.

Almost three-quarters of Sherburne County is now considered to be in a moderate drought or D1. Last week, it was at zero percent. Benton County had previously been mostly spared but in the past week abnormally dry conditions spread to 83 percent of the total area. Only the northwest corner has avoided the drought so far.

Almost a third of Stearns County is in moderate drought. It will affect lawns but not crops. Corn and soybeans are mature enough late in the summer to tap into moisture that exists below the first layers of topsoil. Moderate drought conditions exist in an area from Paynesville east to St. Augusta.

Saint Cloud and the I-94 corridor are all considered abnormally dry. Sauk Centre, Holdingford, and St. Stephen have all missed drought so far.

So far severe drought has missed the area, limited to an area from near Redwood Falls towards Mankato and then into the Twin Cities area.

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