Drought Holds Steady in Central Minnesota as Statewide Conditions Ease Slightly

(KNSI) — The latest U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday shows drought conditions holding steady across central Minnesota after weeks of rapid expansion.

Benton County remains entirely abnormally dry or worse, with 100% of the county in at least moderate drought and 98.12% in severe drought, unchanged from last week’s identical figures. The county’s Drought Severity and Coverage Index held flat at 298 week over week, among the highest in the region. Three months ago, it sat at just 23.

That index, known as the DSCI, rolls an area’s entire drought picture into one number so trends are easier to track over time. It looks at each drought category, from D0, or abnormally dry, up through D4, which is exceptional drought, by severity and adds them together, producing a score that runs from 0, meaning no drought at all, to 500, meaning an area is entirely in exceptional drought.

Sherburne County also shows no movement from last week as 100% remains in at least moderate drought, and 93.93% is in severe drought. Its DSCI held steady at 294. Three months ago, it was at 5.

Stearns County’s numbers are likewise unchanged week over week, with 93.43% of the county in at least moderate drought and 1.99% in severe drought. Its index stayed flat at 195. The county had no drought whatsoever three months ago.

Statewide, 87.49% of Minnesota is abnormally dry or worse, actually down slightly from 92.85% last week. Severe drought coverage also eased, dropping from 32.57% last week to 29.88% now. The statewide DSCI fell from 200 to 188 over the same week.

The longer trend tells a different story. Three months ago, only 77.07% of the state had any drought designation, and just 13.68% was in severe drought or worse. A year ago, no part of the state had reached severe drought at all.

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