PIERRE — The U-S Drought Monitor, generally, doesn’t see much change in the winter. This week’s update of the map showing drought conditions across the country and specifically in South Dakota has seen a big change and not in a good way. Severe drought has expanded into central South Dakota in northwest Hughes, northern Stanley, western Sully and Potter, most of Dewey and all of Ziebach along with northeast Haakon Counties. South Dakota State Climatologist Laura Edwards says climate outlooks don’t show much change through the end of the month….
Edwards says this is normally the driest time of year anyway…
Moderate drought has expanded to the south and southeast to include nearly all or part of Hughes, Stanley, Sully, Potter, Hyde, Hand, Jones, Lyman, Jackson, Haakon, Mellette, Tripp, Buffalo and Brule Counties. It’s abnormally dry in northeast Hyde and much of northern and eastern Hand County.
