A larger portion of the central Midwest has fallen into drought conditions caused by a lack of significant rainfall since late July.
Our quad-state region is entirely contained in the geographic center of the driest conditions along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
In Kentucky, all but a half-dozen counties along the Virginia border are under D-0 abnormally dry conditions, or D-1 moderate drought. In westernmost Kentucky, Ohio River counties are abnormally dry, and Tennessee border counties are under moderate drought, along with most of the rest of the state.
In Illinois, all but the northern third of the state became classified as abnormally dry just in the past week of the monitor. Southern Illinois was already abnormally dry, and parts of nine counties between Carbondale and St. Louis are now in moderate drought.
All of west Tennessee was already experiencing moderate drought, and in the past week, portions of middle Tennessee moved into D-2 severe drought.
Click here to see the national drought map, and click on individual states for more detailed info.
On the Net:
Drought Monitor maps
