State climatologist Laura Edwards says recent rain is not enough to make a significant impact on the drought.
“This week's Drought Monitor compared to last week shows very little change. And I think part of that is because we are so deep in drought impacts in agriculture and water supply improvement.”
Edwards says the state will likely be under severe drought conditions through the fall.
“If we were to look at historical precipitation numbers, and look how dry we are now, we would need maybe 150 to 300 percent of average rainfall in the next three months to really substantially improve our drought.”
National Weather Service records show the Sioux Falls area is about 4 inches below normal precipitation this year. The Rapid City area is 6 inches below normal.
This story comes from a recent interview on SDPB's weekday radio program, "In the Moment." Listen to the full interview below.