Drought Information Statement for 
SE SD, SW MN, NW IA, Far NE Neb 
Valid July 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.
LATE JUNE ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION BRINGS SOME IMPROVEMENT BUT RECENT HEAT AND LACK OF PRECIPITATIONS HOLDS WIDESPREAD DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN PLACE


LONG RANGE OUTLOOKS FAVOR DROUGHT CONDITIONS PERSISTING OR EXPANDING THROUGH END OF GROWING SEASON
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 Persist…

Drought Intensity and Extent

D3 (Extreme Drought): Portions of northern Nebraska

D2 (Severe Drought): Portions of southeast South Dakota into northeast Nebraska.

D1 (Moderate Drought): Southwest Minnesota into remaining areas of southeast South Dakota and portions of northwest Iowa.

D0 (Abnormally Dry): Remaining areas not in more substantial drought coverage across northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. 


Precipitation Departure From Normal
Precipitation Departure From Normal
Water Year (Since Oct 1st)
Precipitation Departure From Normal
Month to Date
July Precip Departure From Normal
Year-to-Date Departure From Normal
Huron
-0.24”
-2.52
Mitchell
-1.45”
-4.87
Vermillion
+0.60”
-5.81”
Sioux Falls
+0.07”
-4.85”
Gregory
-1.64”
-4.62”
Brookings
-0.72”
-3.57”
Sioux City
-0.55”
-4.93”
Sioux Center
-0.29”
-6.05”
Spencer
-2.08”
-5.28”
Marshall
-1.11”
-3.96”
Pipestone
-0.65”
-6.56”
Windom
+0.45”
-3.14”

Temperature -  Past 30 Days
Temperatures during this period were above normal for much of October driven by a very warm start to the month. Temperatures fell well  below normal to close out the month.

Summary of Impacts
Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter
Hydrologic Impacts 
River and stream levels are generally near normal with a few streams and rivers showing 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
Pastures providing less feed than normal and some supplemental feed needed. Less water in stock ponds and water being hauled in for livestock. Crop yield possibly below normal but extent unknown at this time. 

Fire Hazard Impacts
No recent reports 

Other Impacts
Executive Order signed by South Dakota Governor for hauling hay waivers. 

Mitigation Actions
Shut off or monitoring notifications for water rights sent to some users. Some municipalities have enacted water restrictions. 


Hydrologic Conditions
Groundwater Wells Data: Renner, SD
Near Huron, SD
USGS Streamflow Data: 
National Water Dashboard
USGS Streamflow Status Map - 14 Day Average (valid 07/23/2026)
Renner, SD Groundwater Well

Agricultural and Soil Moisture Impacts
SD
As of Jul 20th
Very Short Moisture
Short Moisture
Adequate Moisture
Moisture Surplus
Topsoil
25%
44%
30%
1%
Subsoil
26%
41%
32%
1%
IA
As of Jul 20th
Very Short Moisture
Short Moisture
Adequate Moisture
Moisture Surplus
Topsoil
7%
26%
63%
4%
Subsoil
5%
27%
65%
3%
MN
As of Jul 20th
Very Short Moisture
Short Moisture
Adequate Moisture
Moisture Surplus
Topsoil
3%
23%
70%
4%
Subsoil
3%
23%
71%
3%
USDA Crop Progress and Condition Reports
South Dakota
Minnesota
Iowa
Nebraska

Medium and Long-Range Outlooks
The latest medium range and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Temperature
Precipitation
Above normal temperatures are expected to build back into the region by the weekend of July 25-26, likely continuing into early August. While occasional precipitation chances exist, these will likely be more localized with area-wide averages for precipitation to be near to below normal. 
Short to Medium Range Outlook
El Nino conditions will continue into the upcoming autumn months with no clear signal for temperature or precipitation trends across our immediate region.  
Long Range Outlook

Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Late June rain provided some improvement in areas but recent heat and dry conditions have allowed widespread drought to persist. 

Short and medium range outlooks favor above normal temperatures and near to below normal precipitation. 

Drought persistence and perhaps expansion is favored through the end of the 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.
Acknowledgements