How dry is western North Dakota?

dustin mudd

Active member
Is there enough moisture to germinate the spring week? It looks like you may get some showers or hopefully some rain this week! Keep us fans of ND updated please!
 
Looks awful dry to me.
Its not just western ND. According to the drought monitor, virtually the entire state is in at least stage 2 drought, or worse.

I was fishing in central MN on opener last Saturday and the access points are down a foot. So its not just the Dakotas that are dry. We need a monsoon of rain to come through.
 
One of the driest I have ever seen. Dust from kids shoes playing outside looks like plaster when they come in. Went to farm and have had seeds planted for a month and they are just there waiting to be watered. You can kick dust clouds up just by walking the field....Had to wear coat and face shield to mow what grass there is as dust cloud around mower was unbearable. Rain better come soon or it's over for this year.
 
  • In Summary:
    • Based on the DM map published this morning, 98% of the state is in drought. Ninety-three percent of the state is in at least a Severe Drought category, and 85% of the state is in an Extreme Drought category, which is a 2% increase since last week (Slide 14).
    • This week, the Drought Severity and Coverage Index (DSCI) reached a historical-high value of 376, exceeding the previous high value recorded last week by three points (Slide 16).
    • This week also marks the most extensive Extreme Drought coverage on record since 2000, exceeding the previous most extensive coverage last week.
    • The estimated population in the drought area is 658,127.
 
Hey all, here in the South Central, DRY, just like the rest of the state. Yesterday, out east there were flood warnings, they got dumped on and fast! This morning we have had a few sprinkles, but that's it. It's supposed to rain today and this weekend. I sure hope so!

I've been seeing a lot of birds pairing up, but my concern is the nesting and brood seasons. I sure hope the good Lord will take pity on us and provide the rain we need so bad. Fingers crossed!

Best,

Greg
 
our part of the state finally got some cool 3 days of soft rain so should get us off to a good start..a little later than usual but we'll take it.
 
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A lot of haying being done here to save what they can. It looks like only 1/3-1/2 of normal production....Need some rain soon or it's toast for the crops. Its pretty yellow/brown looking far SW corner
 
I haven't heard how they are. I live in SW so am familiar with this part of the state and I don't travel. I hope better than we are. Hope we aren't headed for another dirty 30's
 
I was talking with my farming family this winter about erosion practices as we watched all sorts of windrows windbreaks get burned/pulled. They said the dust bowl will never happen again due to changes in tillage practices, something about how they turn things over differntly now.

Then this spring they couldn't believe the amount soil blown into ditches, hadn't seen anything like it before.

Maybe our ancestors knew something we don't?
 
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farmers here are cutting hay as fast as possible to save what little there is from burning up. The fire department goes out at least 3 times a day for a prairie fire. CRP will be getting hit hard with emergency haying.......Hens walking with roosters in the fields at night without a brood in sight.
 
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