Even with some recent rain, the Climate
Prediction Center still has almost all of North Dakota and extreme western
Minnesota in either their abnormally dry, or drought category. They divide drought into four categories;
moderate, severe, extreme and exceptional.
Southeastern North Dakota and valley areas in west central
abnormally dry category and the recent rains have been very beneficial. Extreme northwestern
and much of northeastern
are currently in the moderate drought category.
That area missed most of the snow and rain events that hit the Fargo
Moorhead area during the spring and this last bout of rain was not enough to
change their status.
The eastern part of
North Dakota and western Minnesota could easily turn wet with just a good storm
or two, but western North Dakota is going to have a harder time getting out of
the their extreme drought status
