PIERRE — A persistent area of drought lingered for months on the U-S Drought Monitor map for South Dakota. It extended from Dewey and Ziebach Counties, along the Cheyenne River then down western Haakon County and into Jackson County. This week’s map shows that area free of moderate drought, replacing it with abnormally dry conditions. That’s not the only area to see a one-level drought reduction. Abnormally dry is taking over from moderate drought in northern Hand and Hyde Counties up into the Mobridge area. Some moderate drought remains in central South Dakota. The southeast corner of Tripp County and a strip across the Lyman Bootheel is in moderate drought along with much of Brule and Jackson Counties. Moderate drought is also still set up in northern Ziebach and Dewey Counties. Severe drought is located in far southwest South Dakota; from Huron back toward White Lake and in southern Union County. Extreme drought remains in far southern Union County near North Sioux City.
