SW Minnesota now in extreme drought

Thursday’s updated U.S. Drought Monitor for Minnesota shows extreme drought has returned to the Twin Cities and parts of southern Minnesota.

U.S. Drought Monitor for Minnesota

The extreme drought area (in red above) covers most of the central and southern Twin Cities, as well as other parts of the state along the Minnesota River. This includes all of the Nine Mile Creek watershed. As the NWS says, “Rainfall deficits are now running more than 8 inches below average this year in the Twin Cities. Ponds, rivers, lakes and other surface waters are drying up quickly in the dry and warm late summer and autumn weather patterns.” Nine Mile Creek and lakes in the watershed have all shown these lower levels, and are drying up in some spots.

Read the full article here, including effects on other lakes and creeks in the southwest metro: MPR News