Drought, dryness expands across whole state

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For the first time, the Drought-of-2012 has touched all of Wisconsin. In its weekly report today, the U.S. Drought Monitor said the entire state was abnormally dry or worse.

It may not seem like it, because Wisconsin has had scattered showers and thunderstorms on a more frequent basis over the last month-or-so. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the official drought map of the Badger State. The entire Northwoods are abnormally dry. Those conditions apply north of a line from Manitowoc to Turtle Lake. The rest of the state is mostly in a moderate or a severe drought.

If there’s any good news, the part of Wisconsin that’s been in an extreme drought has gotten smaller. Racine and Kenosha counties are no longer in that group. Lafayette and Green are the only full counties in an extreme drought, along with parts of Grant, Iowa, Dane, Rock, and Walworth. Wisconsin’s mid-section received at least a little rain last night and this morning. Once that goes away, dry weather is in the forecast statewide at least through Sunday.

Tags: news, weather, wisconsin