REGIONAL—After an exceptionally wet summer, the North Country is slipping into drought once again. Several weeks with little or no precipitation have left almost all of northern Minnesota abnormally dry or in moderate drought.
This week’s rainfall helped to alleviate the high fire danger experienced in the area earlier this month, but was too limited to reverse the trend that has been in place since early September. Since Sept. 1, many reporting stations in the area have reported just over half their normal precipitation. And that rainfall deficit has come at the same time that the region has experienced exceptional warmth, which increases the rate of drying and extended the growing season for many trees and other plants.
For now, the moderate drought conditions are located in the southern half of St. Louis and Itasca counties, with areas to the north listed as abnormally dry. That’s according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is updated every Thursday.
While the upcoming weekend is expected to be sunny and dry, there are additional chances for rain in the coming week. And both the 6-10-day and 8-14-day outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center forecast above normal precipitation, along with above normal temperatures.