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Boreal Community Media

Drought worsens in significant parts of the Northland

Jul 09, 2020 08:24PM ● By Editor
Photo: WDIO-TV

From WDIO-TV - July 9, 2020


A weekly update shows drought conditions have worsened in parts of the Northland, though the report is based on data gathered before Wednesday night's storms.

The U.S. Drought Monitor map now shows a severe drought in southern and central St. Louis County, the southern tip of Lake County, northern Carlton, Aitkin, and Crow Wing counties, and the Superior area of Douglas County.  Much of the area had previously been listed as having a moderate drought.

Elsewhere, the map shows a moderate drought in most of Lake and Cook counties as well as in northern Douglas and Bayfield counties, southern Carlton County, northern Pine County, and areas of northern St. Louis and Koochiching counties along the international border. Most of the rest of the region is considered to be abnormally dry.


 

The Northland is the only part of the Upper Midwest currently experiencing a severe drought. "Severe" is the second-highest of four levels of drought on the Drought Monitor's scale, and the only parts of the country with worse drought conditions at this time are in the West.

The weekly map is based on data from Tuesday morning. The report, prepared by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, notes that much of the Midwest saw little or no rain and experienced above-normal temperatures in the most recent reporting week. In the Northland, the report cites rain deficits of 4 to 8 inches in the past 90 days and low stream flows as part of its calculation.


To read the original article and see related stories, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website.  https://www.wdio.com/weather/drought-worsens-in-northland/5787288/?cat=10335

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