PITTSBURG, Kan. — The National Weather Service’s drought information statement released last week notes that, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, drought conditions have recently improved across the Missouri Ozarks and southeast Kansas due to several rounds of beneficial rainfall over the region.
“The previously designated Exceptional (D4) drought area over the western half of Cherokee County and the western third of Crawford County has improved to Extreme (D3) drought. This includes the towns of McCune, Sherman, Walnut and Faulkner,” the information statement notes.
“Surrounding the current D3 drought area, those areas previously designated as D3 have improved to severe (D2) drought classification. This covers the rest of Cherokee and Crawford Counties, and the southern half of Bourbon County in southeast Kansas. Over southwest Missouri, the D2 drought area includes southwest Vernon, most of Barton and northwest Jasper Counties. Cities in the D2 drought area include Columbus, Pittsburg, Girard, Mindenmines and Arma,” it continues.
“Surrounding the new D2 drought area, moderate (D1) drought covers the northern half of Bourbon County in southeast Kansas, and central and northwest Vernon, southeast Barton, the rest of Jasper, and north and west Newton Counties. Cities within the D2 drought area include Joplin, Lamar, Nevada, Golden City, Carthage and Leawood.”
The information statement, which was released last Thursday, also notes that soil moisture in the top several inches of the ground ranged from around 25 percent along the Missouri and southeast Kansas border to over 35 percent along the southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas border.
