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Area farmers will be heading into planting this season under moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

A majority of the state, including all of Mower County and most of Freeborn County, is listed as being under these moderate conditions as of April 3, while another sizable area of the state is listed as abnormally dry, including over most of Faribault and Steele counties and all of Waseca County.

According to the National Weather Service, the area has received around 3.75 inches of rain this year, but that’s already down nearly an inch from the normal expected precipitation of 4.54 inches.

The area has largely been snowless for much of this past winter with the area well below normal expected snowfall of 41.3 inches since July 1 at 13.2 inches of snow.

The NWS is also predicting just an equal chance of below or above average for participation through the month of April.

In its U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook ranging from March 20 to June 30, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is expecting that drought conditions for just over half of the state, including southeastern Minnesota, will persist.

Overall, it’s predicting that moderate to exceptional droubt conditions currently exist across 40% of the continental United States.