A wet December has been helping alleviate drought conditions

With the shift to wetter than normal conditions in November and December, slow progress has been made on drought conditions across much of Minnesota. Above normal precipitation looks to continue in the near to medium forecast range.

Some saw more snow Sunday night

A fresh layer of additional snow fell across much of western and southern Minnesota late Sunday into Sunday night. Most areas saw from one to three inches of snowfall.

Above normal precipitation has ‘dented’ the drought

Precipitation for the past 30 days has been double or triple the normal amounts for many spots in Minnesota.

While rainfall is more ideal for alleviating drought conditions in soils, any moisture is better than none. The latest drought monitor is void of extreme drought finally which was present from the Twin Cities areas into southwest Minnesota much of the autumn.

If we compare the latest drought monitor from Dec. 20 to Nov. 1, we can see the changes in drought conditions, for the better.

Above normal precipitation and temperatures ahead

The pattern is shifting to a milder one for the next several days into even early January after a cold stretch

It appears that while temperatures will be changing, the above normal precipitation pattern is forecast to continue in the near to medium forecast range.