Jul. 16—Despite the timely rains in parts of south-central Minnesota, the new Drought Monitor map shows expanding areas of severe and extreme drought in the state.
Tom Hoverstad, a scientist at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca, has the precise records to show just how short of precipitation the area is.
"For the year we're down 11 inches and for the growing season we're down 5 1/2 inches from normal. We're about 50% short of normal accumulation," Hoverstad said.
"This rain is certainly getting us by for the time being, but it's no drought-busting rain by any means."
The 10-day forecast doesn't offer hope of drought relief. Through the end of next week, temperatures are to be in the upper 80s to low 90s with nary a chance for rain.
Still, Wednesday's rain, on top of a good soaking about a week ago, brought relief to yards, crops and farmers throughout south-central Minnesota.
"We are not back to seasonal normal, but it's a blessful rain," said Karson Duncanson, who farms near Mapleton.
"Before the rains we got a couple of weeks ago, we were to the point we needed moisture or we'd have significant yield loss."
The rain was particularly helpful as corn is or soon will be tasseling and will be pollinating, requiring lots of moisture for the plants.
"This has been a very timely rain. This was nice to give the corn a good drink for tasseling," said Duncanson, who got over a half inch.
He said that with the planting season cold and the early spring hot and dry, the recent rains removed some of the worry over crops.
Duncanson is predicting that for those areas that did get the recent rains, corn yields should trend fairly normal.
The success of soybean crops, which are setting pods and flowering, will be more dependent on how much rain comes in the the next five or six weeks.
Kent Thiesse, farm management analyst and vice president at MinnStar Bank, said much of the area is in decent shape for now.
"We've been fortunate in the immediate area, catching just enough rain," he said. "The crop prospects have improved quite a bit."
But he said rainfalls have varied widely.
"You go west and it's still dry. You get north of even Nicollet County and the moisture drops off quite rapidly."
'Severe' drought persists
The new Drought Monitor map's data is from Tuesday, prior to the rain on Wednesday.
But Wednesday's rain, while providing some needed short-term relief, did little to change the progression of drought conditions.
Mankato received just less than 1 inch of rain Wednesday with most of the nine-county area getting about a half inch or less.
Brown, Watonwan and Martin counties are in a severe drought. The severe drought has also crept into far western Nicollet and Blue Earth counties.
Counties to the east remain in a moderate drought, while counties to the west and north of the Mankato area are all in severe drought.
While much of southern Minnesota has remained relatively green, the northwestern part of the state is brittle, causing increased fire risks.
The Department of Natural Resources said Minnesota has tallied 1,634 wildfires since March that have burned 35,000 acres, according to the Star Tribune.
This week the DNR expanded burning restrictions in large portions of northern Minnesota, banning open burning and fireworks and allowing campfires only in fire rings.
Drought loans offered
Determining that an emergency exists, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Rural Finance Authority this week announced it will make zero-interest loans available immediately for Minnesota farmers whose operations are suffering from lack of rain.
Farmers in most area counties in and around Mankato could be eligible for the loans.
"This zero-interest loan program is especially important for farmers whose crops and livestock are suffering from the drought and were not insured or were underinsured," Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said in a statement.
The loans can be used to help cover lost revenue or expenses not covered by insurance. The funds can be used to help clean up, repair or replace farm buildings, repair or replace septic and water systems, replace seed, fertilizer (or other cropping inputs), feed, or livestock and poultry.
Farmers in Minnesota counties considered to be in severe drought or worse (D2+ on the U.S. Drought Monitor's designation) and in contiguous counties are eligible to apply.
More information: mda.state.mn.us
