PIERRE, (KCCR) — Drought doesn’t shrink or grow much during the winter, but a lack of moisture and fairly mild weather is leading to more extension of moderate drought across the state. The increases across central South Dakota are minor compared to the introduction of moderate drought across parts of southwest South Dakota. Statewide, areas of drought declined from 57-point-nine to 52-point-four percent this week. Abnormally dry areas expanded five-percent and moderate drought increased by three-percent. Moderate drought in Tripp, Lyman and Mellette Counties grew by less than one-percent. Fall River County saw moderate drought increase by 72-percent while it grew 55-percent in Custer County. That same vein of moderate drought extends north into Pennington County, which is now 16-percent under moderate drought. Moderate drought is up seven-percent in Lawrence County and less than two-percent in Meade County. The most significant area of moderate drought is across southeast South Dakota where six counties are at 100-percent moderate drought.
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