PIERRE, (KCCR) — Heavy rains last weekend help push back against dry conditions in South Dakota. Statewide areas of no drought expanded by nine-percent to 83-percent. Abnormally dry area dropped to 16-percent from 25 while moderate drought fell to six-percent and severe drought to two-percent of South Dakota. All West River counties are drought free. Severe drought remains in southeast South Dakota in an area from Flandreau to Madison to Salem to Canton. Moderate drought encircles the severe drought from just south of Watertown to Howard to Freeman. Abnormally dry areas are contained to areas south of Highway 14 and east of the James River. A pocket of abnormally dry conditions remain in northeast South Dakota.
