PIERRE — The Pierre/Fort Pierre area is seeing some of the worst drought in South Dakota. This week’s update of the U-S Drought Monitor shows D-3 drought in western Hughes, most of Stanley, southeastern Sully, southeast Haakon, northeast Jackson and western and northern Jones County. D-3, Extreme drought is also noted in Hand County, north of Highway 14, most of Faulk, northeast Potter and northeast Dewey Counties along with much of Brule. Severe drought is reported in most of the rest of central South Dakota with moderate drought in northern Ziebach and northwest Dewey Counties. USDA is rating South Dakota top soil moisture at 82%. South Dakota has some of the worst sorghum, with the crop rated at 31-percent poor to very poor. Nationally, spring wheat is rated nine-percent good to excellent and 66% poor to very poor, the lowest since July of 1988. Periodic extreme heat isn’t helping as Pierre hit 108 degrees on Tuesday.
