Drought intensifies across Minnesota
Published 9:20 am Friday, November 30, 2012
Freeborn County has been listed as being in extreme drought since the start of October, with neighboring Faribault County generally in extreme drought since near Labor Day.
Freeborn County and much of southern Minnesota began 2012 listed as being in a moderate drought and through the months progressed through extreme drought into severe drought.
In late August 2011, the Drought Monitor listed Freeborn County as being abnormally dry. The last time Freeborn County was listed as normal was in early August 2011.
The near-term forecast doesn’t look promises. Albert Lea has a 20 percent chance of rain for Saturday and a 30 percent chance of rain for Monday.
Subsoil moisture across 88 percent of Minnesota’s landscape was said to be short or very short as of Oct. 31.
Stream flows in the driest parts of the state are below their 10th percentile when compared to the historical data, according to the National Weather Service.
“For large portions of Minnesota, August through November 2012 rainfall totals ranked at or below the lowest on record,” the National Weather Service states on its website today.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.