Record rains ease Minnesota drought severity

Record multi-day rains across Minnesota have sharply eased the state's drought this week, cutting both moderate and severe drought coverage nearly in half as of Thursday, according to the latest federal update.^[1]

The U.S. Drought Monitor now shows 24.92% of Minnesota in moderate drought and 2.86% in severe drought, down from 35.55% and 24.52% a week earlier, while 45.72% of the state is classified as abnormally dry.^[1] A slow-moving system dropped 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain on the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, part of a soaking that broke daily rainfall records in both Minneapolis-St. Paul and Hibbing.^[1]

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, the Twin Cities airport recorded 0.66 inches of rain, the most ever for that date in records going back 56 years, helping to chip away at moisture deficits built up over a dry late summer and fall.^[1] Hibbing in northern Minnesota picked up 2.18 inches from the same system, also a daily record, underscoring how widespread and intense the recent rainfall was across the state.^[1]

A week ago, much of Minnesota was sliding deeper into drought, with more than one-third of the state in moderate drought and nearly one-quarter in severe drought, raising concerns for soil moisture heading into winter and for next spring's growing season.^[1] The swift improvement in the latest map reflects how effective sustained, soaking rains can be at recharging soils and surface water even after a prolonged dry spell, though large swaths of the state remain short of normal moisture.

Meteorologists caution that "abnormally dry" and "moderate drought" designations still cover more than two-thirds of Minnesota, and river and lake levels can lag behind quick changes in the drought map, meaning the state is not fully out of water-supply and wildfire risk.^[1] But the early November storms have, at least for now, reversed a worsening trend and given farmers, water managers and residents a measure of relief heading into the colder months.^[1]

1. FOX 9