FORT PIERRE, (KCCR) — Spring is about three weeks away and spring-like weather has been easing frost conditions. Drought across South Dakota is slowly increasing with this week’s update of the South Dakota Drought Monitor. Areas of no drought have decreased 10-percent to 59-percent while abnormally dry areas have increased 10-percent. Most of the increase in abnormally dry areas are across northern South Dakota including northern Ziebach and Dewey Counties. Most of the abnormally dry areas in Dewey and Ziebach Counties are north of the U-S Highway 212 corridor. Just over 60-percent of Dewey County is listed now as abnormally dry. Ziebach County is unchanged at 35-percent abnormally dry. Abnormally dry areas in Haakon and Jackson County have been withdrawn. Two pockets of moderate drought exist on the eastern and western extremes of the state. In the east, moderate drought extends from roughly Flandreau to Canton and in the west, D-Two drought is in place from Deadwood to Camp Crook.
