Drought Information Statement for 
SE SD, SW MN, NW IA, Far NE Neb 
Valid March 13, 2026
Issued By: WFO Sioux Falls, SD
Contact Information: w-fsd.webmaster@noaa.gov
This product will be updated if drought conditions significantly worsen again.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/fsd/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 
Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates.
BELOW NORMAL WINTER PRECIPITATION HAS RESULTED IN EXPANDING AND DEGRADING DROUGHT CONDITIONS ENTERING THE NEW GROWING SEASON


LONG RANGE OUTLOOKS FAVOR DROUGHT CONDITIONS PERSISTING
1

U.S. Drought Monitor
Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for SE South Dakota, SW Minnesota, NW Iowa, far NE Nebraska
…Widespread Abnormally Dry to Moderate Drought Conditions with Localized Severe to Extreme Drought…

Drought Intensity and Extent

D3 (Extreme Drought): Extreme southeast South Dakota into portions of northeast Nebraska

D3 (Severe Drought): Portions of southeast South Dakota into northeast Nebraska

D1 (Moderate Drought): Most location south of Hwy 14 in southeast South Dakota, southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa

D0 (Abnormally Dry): Remaining areas not in more substantial drought coverage in eastern South Dakota and southern Minnesota. 

Precipitation - This Past Winter
Overall precipitation, as well as snowfall, both were below to well below normal across the immediate area this past winter (December through February). 

With many locations already running a precipitation deficit from the fall months, this has allowed for expanding and degrading drought conditions. 

Images Via: Midwest Regional Climate Center

Summary of Impacts.
Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter
Hydrologic Impacts 
River and stream levels remain at or below normal levels coming out of winter freeze-up.

Agricultural Impacts
No recent reports

Fire Hazard Impacts
Several late winter and early spring grass fires have been reported.

Other Impacts
There are no reported impacts at this time

Mitigation Actions
None reported 

Medium and Long-Range Outlooks
The latest medium range and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Temperature
Precipitation
Outlooks for the month of March generally reflect odds favoring near to above normal temperatures as well as near to above normal precipitation. This added precipitation may not be sufficient for meaningful drought improvement however. 
Medium Range Outlook
With a transition from La Nina to Neutral ENSO conditions, no clear signal in temperature or precipitation trends exists in the seasonal outlooks for the remainder of spring (through May). 
Seasonal Outlook

Drought Outlook.
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
A dry fall and winter has resulted in expanding and degrading drought conditions across the region.

While spring typically brings beneficial precipitation, at least some form of drought is favored to persist into the start of a new growing season. 

The latest drought-related information can be found at: weather.gov/fsd/drought. Additional Drought Statements will be issued as conditions warrant. 
The drought monitor is a multi-agency effort involving NOAA’s National Weather Service and National Climatic Data Center, the USDA, state and regional center climatologists and the National Drought Mitigation Center. Information for this statement has been gathered from NWS and FAA observation sites, cooperative and volunteer observations, USDAFS, the USDA and USGS.
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