PIERRE, (KCCR) — There are plenty of rain and snow chances in the forecast ahead but how much help those chances will be to mitigate drought are yet to be seen. The U-S Drought Monitor for South Dakota continues to show expanding drought across the state. Statewide, areas of no drought declined last week by seven-and-a-half percent to now 39-percent. Abnormally dry areas grew by seven-and-a-half percent to now 61-percent. Moderate drought was unchanged at 33-percent and moderate up to five-percent. In central South Dakota, abnormally dry areas grew in Hughes County from 13-percent to 93-percent, while drought-free areas fell to only seven percent countywide. Abnormally dry areas are up to 87-percent in Hand County; 82-percent in Hyde County from 12-percent last week and 29-percent in Sully County, mainly in the south and east. Stanley County is 25-percent abnormally dry, mainly in the southeast corner. Abnormally dry is up 17-percent this week in Jones County. The worst drought remains severe drought across the southwest and southeast portions of South Dakota.
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