Drought Information Statement for SE SD, SW MN, NW IA, Far NE Neb Valid April 23, 2026 Issued By: WFO Sioux Falls, SD Contact Information: w-fsd.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated as conditions warrant. 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. DROUGHT DEGREDATION CONTINUES OVER SOUTH DAKOTA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA, WITH SOME RECENT IMPROVEMENT ACROSS NORTHWEST IOWA LONG RANGE OUTLOOKS FAVOR DROUGHT CONDITIONS PERSISTING 1 Latest U.S. Drought Monitor Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for SE South Dakota, SW Minnesota, NW Iowa, far NE Nebraska …Widespread Moderate to Severe Drought Conditions with Localized Extreme Drought… Drought Intensity and Extent D3 (Extreme Drought): Portions of southern South Dakota into northern Nebraska D2 (Severe Drought): Much of southeast South Dakota into northeast Nebraska, and extreme southwest Minnesota. D1 (Moderate Drought): Most location near and south of Hwy 14 in southeast South Dakota, southwest Minnesota and far northwest Iowa D0 (Abnormally Dry): Remaining areas not in more substantial drought coverage in eastern South Dakota and southern Minnesota. Precipitation - Past 30 Days Precipitation has been below normal over most areas the past 30 days, with the most pronounced deficits across South Dakota into western Minnesota. Many locations were already running a precipitation deficit from late last year and this past winter. This has allowed for expanding and degrading drought conditions. 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. A below normal runoff is forecast by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Missouri River, with water conservation measures in place for the reservoir system. Agricultural Impacts Sporadic reports of dry to very dry conditions with initial assessment of field status by farmers. Fire Hazard Impacts Several late winter and early spring grass and field fires have occurred. Burn bans have been, or remain, in effect in some locations. Other Impacts None reported Mitigation Actions None reported Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Most waterways across the region are running at or below normal levels for this time of year. Groundwater well data from Renner, SD is generally comparable to April values from the past few years. USGS Streamflow Status Map valid 04/20/2026 USGS Groundwater Well near Renner, SD valid 04/24/2026 Groundwater Wells Data: Renner, SD Near Huron, SD USGS Streamflow Data: National Water Dashboard Agricultural and Soil Moisture Impacts SD As of April 19th Very Short Moisture Short Moisture Adequate Moisture Moisture Surplus Topsoil 26% 33% 37% 4% Subsoil 30% 26% 39% 5% IA As of April 19th Very Short Moisture Short Moisture Adequate Moisture Moisture Surplus Topsoil 2% 8% 72% 18% Subsoil 3% 16% 68% 13% MN As of April 19th Very Short Moisture Short Moisture Adequate Moisture Moisture Surplus Topsoil 4% 19% 63% 14% Subsoil 4% 24% 64% 8% USDA Crop Progress and Condition Reports South Dakota Minnesota Iowa Nebraska Five Day Precipitation Outlook Summarize conditions here Rainfall Exceedance Probabilities through April 29th. (Data as of Morning of April 24th) Medium and Long-Range Outlooks The latest medium range and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Temperature Precipitation No clear signal exists in the temperature and precipitation outlooks for the month of May, with perhaps only a slight lean in the odds toward near to above normal temperatures. 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 this summer (through July), with only a slight lean toward above normal temperatures. Seasonal Outlook Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures have resulted in expanding and degrading drought conditions, especially near and west of I-29. Beneficial rain is expected over the next 5 days which may temporarily halt expansion or perhaps result in some improvement in conditions. 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. Acknowledgements