Update: Rain eases drought
There's some good news for drought stricken eastern Minnesota. The drought area is shrinking.
A band of heavy rain Sunday night dumped up to 4" of rainfall from near Lake Mille Lacs to Duluth. The rainfall helped erode some of drought designated areas, and Minnesota actually saw a decrease in the percentage of the state under drought designation this week.
According to today's updated U.S. Drought Monitor, areas in Minnesota classified under moderate or severe drought dropped to 19.9% this week, down from 25.3% last week.
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Drought areas shrink slightly in Minnesota this week.
Drought hangs on in Wisconsin:
Overall in the Upper Midwest, drought areas held their ground. Much of northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula is still parched, and classified as moderate or severe drought.
Ample rains and mild temperatures overall have allowed Minnesota farmers to get a jump on the 2010 crop season. The latest Minnesota Crop Report shows crop development ahead of average for this year.
Topsoil moisture is rated as adequate in 87% of Minnesota.
PH