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Drought Update 000 AXUS73 KMPX 261830 RRA DGTMPX WIZ014>016-270845- DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 843 PM CDT SAT OCT 24 2009 ...EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS DISAPPEAR OVER EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND HAVE DECREASED NOTICEABLY OVER WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN... ...SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE ALSO VANISHED OVER EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND HAVE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN... .SYNOPSIS...THE COLD WET PERIOD PREVALENT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH CONTINUED WITH VIGOR LAST WEEK. ALTHOUGH SUNDAY...MONDAY AND TUESDAY WERE AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE...THE MAJORITY OF THE PRIOR WEEK SAW HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 10 AND 15 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE. LARGE AMOUNTS OF SUNSHINE DURING THE PAST WEEK WERE SEEN ON SATURDAY ...SUNDAY AND MONDAY...WITH MOSTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY CONDITIONS THEREAFTER. WINDS WERE LIGHTEST ON THE 16TH...AVERAGING BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MPH SUSTAINED DURING THE DAY. WINDS INCREASED INTO THE SUSTAINED 10 TO 20 MPH RANGE DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. ONCE AGAIN...TWO PRECIPITATION EVENTS WERE NOTED DURING THE PAST 7 DAYS. THE FIRST EVENT OCCURRED AS A VERTICALLY STACKED SURFACE AND UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED FROM EASTERN NEBRASKA THROUGH IOWA...SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA AND SOUTHWESTER WISCONSIN FROM THE 20TH TO THE 21ST. THIS SYSTEM PRODUCED FORTY EIGHT HOUR RAINFALL REPORTS IN THE HALF OF AN INCH...TO SEVEN TENTHS OF AN INCH RANGE ACROSS THE REGION. SEVERAL LOCATIONS RECEIVED JUST OVER ONE INCH OF PRECIPITATION. THE SECOND SYSTEM TO STRIKE THE DROUGHT AREA DURING THE PAST WEEK BEGAN ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON...AS A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TREKKED FROM NORTHEASTERN KANSAS INTO NORTHERN MISSOURI TO FAR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN BY THE EVENING HOURS ON FRIDAY. TOTAL PRECIPITATION AVERAGED IN THE THREE TO FOUR TENTHS OF AN INCH RANGE...WITH SEVERAL LOCATIONS PICKING UP BETWEEN THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH...TO NEAR AN INCH OF MOISTURE. MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY OCCURRED OVER THE DROUGHT AREA...EAST OF A LINE...FROM MORA TO MANKATO TO BLUE EARTH. NUMEROUS LOCATIONS IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN HAVE ALSO REPORTED BETWEEN AN INCH...TO AS MUCH AS 4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL OVER PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .ANY STILL AVAILABLE CROPS AND PERENNIAL VEGETATION OVER THE EXTREME AND SEVERE DROUGHT AREA WERE POSITIVELY IMPACTED DURING THE PAST WEEK FROM THE ABUNDANT RAINFALL. THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF MOSTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY SKIES DURING THE PREVIOUS WEEK...A LESSENING SUN ANGLE...AND A DECREASING LENGTH OF DAY WERE ALSO A POSITIVE FOR ANY CROPS. LOCAL AREA AFFECTED...EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN ERASED OVER ALL OF EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND HAVE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER OVER WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THE AREA IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN IS MAINLY NORTH OF A TURTLE LAKE TO LADYSMITH LINE. SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE ALSO DECREASED OVER WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...AND REMAIN NORTH OF A LINE FROM JUST NORTH OF FOREST...TO ISLAND LAKE TO CONRATH...MINUS OF COURSE THE EXTREME DROUGHT AREA MENTIONED ABOVE. SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE EVAPORATED OVER EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE DECREASED NOTICEABLY OVER SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND HAVE ALSO DECREASED MODERATELY ACROSS WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS HAVE RETURNED TO THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...BUT ONLY BECAUSE MODERATE DROUGHT AREAS HAVE SUBSIDED. ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS HAVE ALSO DECREASED MODERATELY OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA. ...COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE EXTREME DROUGHT REGION... IN MINNESOTA... NONE. IN WISCONSIN... EXTREME NORTHEASTERN POLK...NORTHERN THIRD OF BARRON...EXTREME NORTHWESTERN RUSK. ...COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE SEVERE DROUGHT REGION... IN MINNESOTA... NONE. IN WISCONSIN... REMAINDER OF THE EASTERN THIRD OF POLK...CENTRAL BARRON...CENTRAL RUSK. ...COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE MODERATE DROUGHT REGION... IN MINNESOTA... DOUGLAS...POPE...STEVENS...CHISAGO...NORTHERN HALF OF WASHINGTON ...SOUTHERN HALF OF ISANTI...ANOKA...EXTREME NORTHERN RAMSEY...FAR EASTERN SHERBURNE...FAR NORTHERN HENNEPIN...EXTREME NORTHEASTERN WRIGHT. IN WISCONSIN... REMAINDER OF POLK...EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN BARRON...FAR SOUTHERN RUSK ...NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF ST CROIX...NORTHERN HALF OF DUNN...AND CHIPPEWA. ...COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE ABNORMALLY DRY REGION... IN MINNESOTA... MOST OF THE REMAINDER OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. IN WISCONSIN... THE REMAINDER OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .SOIL MOISTURE CONDITIONS AND AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS... IN MINNESOTA...AS OF OCTOBER 18TH...FALL HARVEST WAS HAMPERED BY ANOTHER COOL...WET WEEK...ACCORDING TO THE USDA...NASS...MINNESOTA FIELD OFFICE. UNFORTUNATELY...LESS THEN 2 DAYS WERE SUITABLE FOR FIELDWORK...STATEWIDE. THE COLD...DANK WEATHER KEPT MOST FIELDS TOO WET TO HARVEST. SOYBEANS WERE 97 PERCENT MATURE WITH SIXTY SEVEN PERCENT OF THE CROP IN GOOD TO EXCELLENT CONDITION. THIRTY FOUR PERCENT OF SOYBEANS AN AMAZING 47 PERCENTAGE POINTS BEHIND LAST YEAR...AND 49 PERCENT BEHIND THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE. CORN WAS 84 PERCENT MATURE OR BEYOND COMPARED TO 93 PERCENT LAST YEAR AND THE 97 PERCENT FIVE YEAR AVERAGE. CORN CONDITION WAS 73 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT. CORN HARVEST ADVANCED ONE POINT TO THREE PERCENT HARVESTED...FOURTEEN POINTS BEHIND LAST YEAR...AND TWENTY EIGHT POINTS BEHIND AVERAGE. POTATOES WERE 95 PERCENT HARVESTED...DRY BEANS AT 87 PERCENT...AND SUNFLOWERS AT 20 PERCENT. SUGARBEET HARVESTED HAD INCREASED TO 60 PERCENT...UP FROM FORTY SEVEN PERCENT LAST WEEK...AND COMPARED TO 77 PERCENT LAST YEAR. THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE IS EIGHTY ONE PERCENT. SUGARBEET CONDITION WAS 71 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT...WHILE SUNFLOWERS WERE 55 PERCENT GOOD TO EXCELLENT...DOWN TWO POINTS FROM A WEEK AGAO. TOPSOIL MOISTURE STATEWIDE HAD INCREASED MODERATELY FROM LAST WEEK. AS OF OCTOBER 18TH TWENTY SEVEN PERCENT OF THE TOPSOIL WAS RATED SURPLUS....66 PERCENT ADEQUATE...ONLY SIX PERCENT SHORT AND A MINUSCULE ONE PERCENT VERY SHORT. AS OF OCTOBER 25TH...SUBSOIL MOISTURE DOWN TO ONE FOOT WAS 0.3 INCHES TO AS MUCH AS TWO INCHES ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA...WITH THE BEST MOISTURE VALUES SEEN ACROSS FAR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN AREAS. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS SINCE LATE APRIL ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA GENERALLY RANGED FROM THREE INCHES ABOVE NORMAL TO AS MUCH AS 6 INCHES BELOW NORMAL...WITH THE MOST BELOW NORMAL READINGS OCCURRING OVER FAR EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. IN WISCONSIN... AS OF OCTOBER 24TH...STATEWIDE SOIL MOISTURE CONDITIONS MEASURED AS VERY SHORT HAD DECREASED TO 1 PERCENT...SHORT HAD ALSO DECREASED...AND WAS NOW AT ONLY 6 PERCENT...ADEQUATE HAD INCREASED TO A MOST IMPRESSIVE 78 PERCENT AND SURPLUS ALSO JUMPED...TO A CURRENT READING OF 15 PERCENT. ACROSS WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN VERY SHORT HAD DECREASED TO ZERO...SHORT HAD DECREASED TO 2 PERCENT...ADEQUATE HAD SHOT UP TO A WHOPPING 82 PERCENT...AND SURPLUS HAD JUMPED UP TO 16 PERCENT. RAINFALL DURING THE PAST WEEK ALONG WITH WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES MADE IT A TOUGH WEEK FOR MANY FARMERS TO COMPLETE FIELD WORK. WET FIELDS ALSO RESULTED IN MANY GROWERS WAITING TO FINISH WINTER WHEAT PLANTING. FARMERS ARE CROSSING THEIR FINGERS FOR MULTIPLE DAYS OF DRY ...WARM WEATHER TO COMPLETE THE FALL HARVEST. UNFORTUNATELY...THAT IS NOT THE FORECAST FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK. WINTER WHEAT PREVIOUSLY PLANTED WAS REPORTED AS EMERGING EVENLY WITH HELP FROM RECENT MOISTURE. HOWEVER...SOME GROWERS ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS PLANTING WINTER WHEAT DUE TO THE WET SOIL. CORN IN THE MATURE STAGE WAS REPORTED TO BE 70 PERCENT COMPLETE...AN INCREASE OF AN IMPRESSIVE TWELVE PERCENTAGE POINTS FROM LAST WEEK. CORN SILAGE HARVEST CONTINUED DURING THE PAST WEEK WITH 83 PERCENT REPORTED COMPLETE. CORN HARVESTED FOR GRAIN WAS REPORTED AT 5 PERCENT COMPLETE. SOME GROWERS REPORTED HARVESTING HIGH MOISTURE CORN...BUT MANY REPORTED LITTLE HARVEST COMPLETED LAST WEEK DUE TO HIGH MOISTURE LEVELS IN THE CROP...AND FIELDS BEING WET. SOYBEANS DROPPING LEAVES WERE FINISHING UP DURING THE PAST WEEK...AND SOYBEAN HARVEST WAS REPORTED AT 14 PERCENT COMPLETE...AN INCREASE OF 7 PERCENTAGE POINTS FROM LAST WEEK. A STRETCH OF WARM...DRY DAYS WOULD CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO THE COMPLETION OF HARVEST...AS STATED BY NUMEROUS FARMERS. APPLE CROP YIELDS WERE REPORTED GOOD ACROSS DUNN AND PORTAGE COUNTIES. WINTER WHEAT PREVIOUSLY PLANTED WAS REPORTED AS EMERGING EVENLY WITH HELP FROM RECENT MOISTURE. HOWEVER...SOME GROWERS COMPLAINED THAT WINTER WHEAT PLANTING WAS SLOW DUE TO WET SOIL. FALL TILLAGE INCREASED SLIGHTLY TO 17 PERCENT COMPLETE...UP 4 PERCENTAGE POINTS FROM THE PRIOR WEEK. FALL TILLAGE CONTINUED TO LAG DUE TO WET FIELD CONDITIONS...AND FARMERS CONCENTRATING ON OTHER CROPS. MANURE HAULING CONTINUED IN EARNEST ACROSS SOME PORTIONS OF THE STATE. HOWEVER...MANY GROWERS REPORTED WAITING ON MANURE APPLICATIONS DUE TO THE HARVEST SLOW DOWN. AS OF OCTOBER 24TH...SUBSOIL MOISTURE DOWN TO ONE FOOT WAS THREE TENTHS TO 1.20 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS SINCE LATE APRIL ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN GENERALLY RANGED FROM AN INCH TO 6 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. RIVER AND STREAM FLOW CONDITIONS... AS OF OCTOBER 24TH...RIVERS IN THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER WATERSHED NORTH OF THE TWIN CITIES CURRENTLY ARE AVERAGING AT TO MUCH ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS. THE MINNESOTA RIVER IS RUNNING AT MUCH ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS OVER MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. IN EXTREME WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA RIVERS ARE HIGH. FROM MANKATO TO THE CONFLUENCE WITH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR MINNEAPOLIS THE MINNESOTA RIVER IS RUNNING AT TO MUCH ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS. A FEW READINGS OF NOTE INCLUDE...THE MINNESOTA RIVER AT MANKATO HAD JUMPED TO AN INCREDIBLE 305% OF NORMAL...THE MINNESOTA RIVER NEAR MONTEVIDEO HAD WATER LEVELS OF AN AMAZING 548% OF NORMAL. THE REDWOOD RIVER NEAR REDWOOD FALLS HAD INCREASED TO A HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE 308% OF NORMAL...THE COTTONWOOD RIVER AT NEW ULM REPORTED A VERY HEALTHY 179% OF NORMAL...THE POMME DE TERRE RIVER AT APPLETON WAS INDICATING AN UNUSUAL 247% OF NORMAL. THE MINNESOTA RIVER NEAR JORDAN HAD SKYROCKETED TO 198% OF NORMAL. THE SAUK RIVER NEAR ST CLOUD WAS REPORTING AN REMARKABLE 295% OF NORMAL...THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR ANOKA WAS RUNNING AT A HEIGHTENED 105% OF NORMAL...WHILE THE CANNON RIVER AT WELCH HAD INCREASED TO A VERY ROBUST 183% OF NORMAL. AS OF OCTOBER 24TH...THE ST CROIX WATERSHED IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA WAS RUNNING MAINLY AT OR ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS...AND THE ST CROIX WATERSHED IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN WAS RUNNING AT NORMAL LEVELS AT ALL LOCATIONS. THE ST CROIX RIVER NEAR GRANTSBURG WAS RUNNING AT AN IMPROVED 124% OF NORMAL...THE SNAKE RIVER NEAR PINE CITY HAD ALSO RAMPED UP TO 149% OF NORMAL. THE ST CROIX RIVER AT ST CROIX FALLS REPORTED WATER LEVELS HAD JUMPED TO 118% OF NORMAL. THE CHIPPEWA RIVER NEAR BRUCE HAD INCREASED TO 78% OF NORMAL. THE CHIPPEWA RIVER AT DURAND HAD INCREASED TO 95% OF NORMAL. THE CHIPPEWA RIVER AT CHIPPEWA FALLS HAD SPIKED TO 113% OF NORMAL. THE HAY RIVER AT WHEELER HAD INCREASED TO AN IMPRESSIVE 105% OF NORMAL. THE EAU GALLE RIVER AT SPRING VALLY WISCONSIN WAS AT 47% OF NORMAL. TOTAL FLOW LEVELS ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY DUE TO THE ADDITIONAL RECHARGE OF SOIL FROM LAST WEEK`S GENEROUS RAINFALL...AND THE INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE MOISTURE EXPECTED TO ENTER THE WATERSHED DURING THE UPCOMING WEEK. .FIRE DANGER IMPACTS... AS OF OCTOBER 24TH...THE FIRE DANGER RATING FOR THE ENTIRE SOUTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA WAS LOW. BURNING PERMITS ARE STILL REQUIRED ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. THE PAST WEEK`S WIDESPREAD MODERATE PRECIPITATION COMBINED WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF LIGHT TO MODERATE MOISTURE DURING THE UPCOMING WEEK WILL MAINTAIN THE CURRENT FIRE THREAT INTO EARLY NOVEMBER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BURNING PERMITS...CALL 1-888-MINNDNR OR IN THE TWIN CITIES METRO CALL 651-296-6157. IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...AS OF OCTOBER 24TH...THE FIRE THREAT REMAINS LOW. THE PAST WEEK`S WIDESPREAD MODERATE PRECIPITATION COMBINED WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF LIGHT TO MODERATE MOISTURE DURING THE UPCOMING WEEK WILL MAINTAIN THE CURRENT FIRE THREAT INTO EARLY NOVEMBER. BURNING PERMIT RESTRICTIONS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE BY CALLING 1-888-WIS-BURN (947-2876). .PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK... A NEW STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF SOUTH DAKOTA ...WILL WEAKEN SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT MARCHES INTO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA BY SHORTLY AFTER DAWN ON SUNDAY. BY LATE SUNDAY EVENING THE SURFACE LOW WILL WEAKEN FURTHER AS IT SLIDES NORTHEAST INTO NORTHERN WISCONSIN. THE SYSTEM WILL FINALLY EXIT EASTERN WISCONSIN BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN IS ANTICIPATED ACROSS MUCH OF THE DROUGHT REGION TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY EVENING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL AVERAGE IN THE FIVE HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH...TO NEAR THREE TENTHS OF AN INCH ACROSS MUCH OF THE DROUGHT REGION. A FEW LOCATIONS MAY PICK UP AS MUCH AS ONE HALF OF AN INCH. THE SECOND SYSTEM OF THE NEXT WEEK INVOLVES A DEEP TROUGH THAT WILL DIVE INTO THE CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS BEGINNING ON TUESDAY. TWO STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS ARE PROGGED TO MARCH INTO THE DROUGHT REGION WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY. THE FIRST LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MARCH INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. BY WEDNESDAY EVENING IT WILL TREK INTO THE LAKE SUPERIOR AREA...AS A SECOND SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TREKS INTO CENTRAL IOWA. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON THIS SECOND LOW WILL DEEPEN AS IT PROCEEDS INTO THE EASTERN HALF OF WISCONSIN. AFTER THAT AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DESCEND FROM THE NORTHWEST INTO MINNESOTA BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. IT WILL EXIT WISCONSIN BY LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL MOISTURE FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL RANGE FROM A FEW TENTHS TO JUST OVER ONE INCH. LONG RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO POINT TO A MUCH STRONGER STORM SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE NEBRASKA/SOUTH DAKOTA REGION BY NEXT SATURDAY. LARGE AMOUNTS OF COLD CANADIAN AIR WILL BE DRAWN INTO THE REGION BEHIND IT. SOME IF NOT ALL OF THE MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM WILL BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW. AT THIS JUNCTURE 3 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW APPEARS TO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE DROUGHT REGION. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS IN THE ONE HALF INCH TO NEAR ONE AND ONE HALF INCHES ALSO MAY OCCUR. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES THIS WEEK WILL RISE INTO THE UPPER 40S TO LOW 50S THROUGH THURSDAY....WITH READINGS RETREATING INTO THE LOW 40S ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. LOW TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM THE MID TO UPPER 30S WILL BE THE RULE INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. READINGS WILL THEN PLUNGE INTO THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S INTO SATURDAY MORNING. MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS SHOULD ALSO BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE DROUGHT REGION INTO NEXT SATURDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS FOR THE 7 DAY FORECAST PERIOD ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR TUESDAY...THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY MORNING...AND AGAIN ON SATURDAY. SUSTAINED WINDS IN THE 10 TO 20 MPH RANGE WILL OCCUR. FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 7 TO 12 MPH...(MAINLY DURING THE LATE MORNING TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS)...SHOULD BE ANTICIPATED. EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WINDS OF 5 TO 8 MPH SHOULD ALSO BE EXPECTED FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. THE CURRENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS SHOULD CONTINUE TO DECREASE IN INTENSITY...ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE NEXT WEEK...CONSIDERING THE PREVIOUS WEEKS WIDESPREAD MODERATE RAINFALL...AND THE ADDITIONAL LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL OCCURRING THIS WEEK. IN ADDITION...A VERY NOTICEABLE POST FALL EQUINOX SUN ANGLE...LITTLE TO NO SIGNIFICANT SUNSHINE...AND BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES...SHOULD ALSO HELP DECREASE THE INTENSITY...OF THE CURRENT DROUGHT SCENARIO OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN DURING THE NEXT 7 DAYS. THE 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER...HAS THE ENTIRE DROUGHT REGION UNDER A 50-60 PERCENT PROBABILITY FOR BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES...ALONG WITH AN AVERAGE CHANCE OF NORMAL PRECIPITATION. A MODERATE EL NINO IS STILL FORECAST FOR THE U.S. THIS WINTER. FOR THE WINTER MONTHS OF DECEMBER...JANUARY AND FEBRUARY...TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THE DROUGHT REGION...WITH PRECIPITATION ANTICIPATED TO BE BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS THE DROUGHT REGION. ***DUE TO THE HARVESTING OF MOST CROPS...THIS WILL BE THE FINAL DROUGHT ISSUANCE FOR 2009.*** && RELATED WEB SITES... U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR...HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML NOAA DROUGHT PAGE...HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.NOAA.GOV/ MIDWESTERN REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTER... HTTP://MCC.SWS.UIUC.EDU/INDEX.JSP WISCONSIN STATE CLIMATOLOGY OFFICE... HTTP://WWW.AOS.WISC.EDU/~SCO/ MINNESOTA CLIMATOLOGY WORKING GROUP...HTTP://CLIMATE.UMN.EDU/ DETAILED CROP INFORMATION AT USDA PUBLICATIONS WEB SITE... HTTP://WWW.NASS.USDA.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/STATE_CROP_PROGRESS_AND_ CONDITION/INDEX.ASP ADDITIONAL RIVER INFORMATION: NWS...HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/AHPS/ USGS...HTTP://WATER.USGS.GOV/ USACE...HTTP://WWW.MVR.USACE.ARMY.MIL/ CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER/CPC...HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... THE DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING NOAA`S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER ...THE USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL CENTER CLIMATOLOGISTS...AND THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER. INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN GATHERED FROM NWS AND FAA OBSERVATION SITES ...STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICES...THE USDA ...USACE AND USGS. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS... IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS REPORT PLEASE CONTACT: DIANE COOPER/TONY ZALESKI NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHANHASSEN, MN 55317 952-361-6708 DIANE.COOPER@NOAA.GOV $$ ZALESKI
U.S. Drought Assessment from the Climate Prediction Center Minnesota State Climatologist’s Drought Situation Report Streamflow conditions for Minnesota and Wisconsin 30-Day Outlook and 90-Day Outlook for temperature and precipitation Minnesota State Fire Danger Page from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Wisconsin State Fire Danger Page from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Additional Climate Information Available From Our Climate Page and Midwest Regional Climate Center |
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