PIERRE — With each passing week the U-S Drought Monitor for South Dakota gets more colorful and that’s not a good thing. There are limited changes this week across central South Dakota. Severe level drought is creeping into eastern Hand County along the Beadle County line. Ten-percent of Hand County is now in severe drought. Last week it was zero. Three months ago Hand County had no moderate drought. This week that number is nearly 89-percent. For the second straight week, the central James River Valley has seen a substantial increase in drought conditions. In fact a second area of extreme drought now extends from roughly Wessington Springs to Woonsocket; up to Iroquios to near the Spink and Clark Count borders then back southwest through Huron to Wessington Springs. Severe drought in Jackson and Brule Counties has increased three-percent this week. Much of Hughes, Sully and Potter Counties remainly largely drought-free.
