Drought conditions worsen in parts of North Dakota

October 4, 2021

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The drought worsened in northwestern North Dakota over the past week, but conditions in all other regions of the state are holding steady.

Parts of the northwest that were in severe drought last week are now in extreme drought, the second-worse of four categories, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map. A small pocket of exceptional drought — the worst category — remained in Golden Valley County in the southwest.

All of North Dakota except the very southeastern tip remained in some form of drought.

“Almost the entire (Northern Plains) region was dry with only light precipitation recorded in portions of the region,” National Drought Mitigation Center Climatologist Brian Fuchs wrote. “Most all of the region was at or above normal for temperatures this week with the warmest readings in the Dakotas, where temperatures were 6-8 degrees above normal.”

Record and even historic heat blanketed much of North Dakota early last week. Dickinson on Tuesday hit 100 degrees. The National Weather Service said it appears to be the latest in the year that any weather station in the state has recorded a triple-digit temperature.