Damage reports are mounting after stormy weather this week in central and western North Dakota, and a rainy weekend appears in store for much of the state.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) The drought that a year ago had enveloped all of North Dakota has dissipated, according to this week's monitoring report. The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows no areas of the state are in any drought categories.
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Recent rain has slowed the expansion of drought in North Dakota and diminished the pace of wildfires, but conditions have improved little over the week despite the wet weather.
This week s U.S. Drought Monitor map, published Thursday, shows a little under 18% of North Dakota in exceptional drought, the worst of four categories. That s up about 1% from the previous week.
But a large chunk of southwestern North Dakota has been downgraded from extreme drought to severe. Extreme drought now covers 59% of the state, down from 68% last week. However, all of the state except for the extreme southeastern corner remains in some form of drought.
Exceptional drought is now present in North Dakota, and the number of wildfires in the state has topped the 1,000 mark.
This week s U.S. Drought Monitor map shows 17% of North Dakota in exceptional drought, the worst of four categories. The affected area is in the central and north central parts of the state. The rest of the western two-thirds of North Dakota is in extreme drought, with most of the Red River Valley and part of the southeast in severe or moderate drought.
It s the first time this year that exceptional drought has been in North Dakota. It s the lone spot in the country outside of the Desert Southwest where it s present.