The areas of severe and moderate drought have expanded across south central Minnesota.
The latest Drought Monitor map, which includes data as Tuesday, show the moderate drought grew significantly. It now stretches from near St. Cloud to the southern tip of Nicollet County and the from the Twin Cities all the way to the South Dakota border near Pipestone.
Meanwhile severe drought is reaching ever farther southwest and now covers Sibley County, Northern Nicollet County and a slice of Brown County. The severe drought classification is now in part or all of Redwood, Renville, Brown, Nicollet, Sibley, Le Sueur, McLeod, Carver, Scott, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka and Washington Counties.
Unlike last year, when northern Minnesota was stuck in a long term severe drought, the northern half of the state has so far had adequate moisture and no drought, thanks to heavy rains this spring.