(KNSI) – The drought in Sherburne County intensified over the past week, with Benton and Stearns staying the same.
The entire tri-county area is in at least moderate drought, with all of Benton, a third of Sherburne, and about a quarter of Stearns in the severe category. It doesn’t look like things are going to get better in the near term. The forecast over the next seven days shows mostly clear skies for the next week, with temperatures returning into the mid-80s by the end of this weekend. The highest precipitation chance is 30% on Friday and Sunday nights.
Less than two percent of the state now is unaffected by the 2023 drought. The United States Drought Monitor says each category is determined by where it ranks on a percentile basis. A severe drought ranges from 6 to 10.99, meaning current conditions for a considerable portion of the area are drier than 89% of the readings that have ever been taken.
A moderate drought ranges from the 11th percentile to 20.99. Abnormally dry, considered a pre-drought stage, runs from the 21st percentile to the 30th. Normal or wet conditions are the 31st percentile and above.
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