Drought Information Statement for Central and Northeast Wisconsin Valid October 14, 2024 Issued By: WFO Green Bay, WI Contact Information: nws.greenbay@noaa.gov This product will be updated October 26, 2024 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/grb/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/drought-status-update-midwest-2024-04-25 Severe (D2) to Moderate (D1) drought continues across north-central and northeast Wisconsin. 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for [region] Drought intensity and Extent D2 (Severe Drought): Brown (northeast), Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade (northeast half), Lincoln (far east), Marinette, Menominee, Oconto (northern half),Oneida (eastern half) and Vilas (far southeast) counties. D1 (Moderate Drought): North-central and northeast Wisconsin outside the Severe Drought (D2) north of a line from Merrill to Shawano to Green Bay to Manitowoc. D0: (Abnormally Dry): South of a line from Merrill to Shawano to Green Bay to Manitowoc. Recent Change in Drought Intensity Link to the latest 4-week change map for [region] Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: Drought worsened across north-central and northeast Wisconsin over the last several weeks. The worse conditions were noted near the Michigan border. A few locations in Vilas, Oconto and northern Door counties only reported 20 to 40 percent of normal rainfall in September. Heavy rain was noted on October 13th across portions of northeast Wisconsin. No Change: Drought conditions continued to worsen through October 12th. Some improvement is expected next week from far eastern Marinette County into central Door County. Precipitation Heavy rain was noted in July and August across portions of central and east-central WI. Locations north of Green Bay missed out on the heavy rains of August. In September, the precip total for the month was under an inch at many spots across the north with totals of 1-3 inches over the remainder of the area, highest totals in central WI. The first ten days of October continued the dry trend. Temperature The 7 day (left image) and the 30 day temperature (right image) continued to show temperatures running 6F to 9F above normal. There will be a brief cool stretch from October 13-15th before temperatures turn well above normal again into the weekend of Oct 19-20th. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts The rivers across north-central and far northeast WI are running well below normal through October 12th. Agricultural Impacts There should be minimal impacts to agricultural interest since the main growing season is coming to an end. If the drought continues, it could impact the winter wheat yields. Fire Hazard Impacts Increased risk of fires on windy, mild days with low humidity. This will be especially true once there is a hard freeze and leaves fall off the trees. Other Impacts There are no known impacts at this time. Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. If you plan on burning later this fall, please check the Wisconsin DNR website for any bans on burning. https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/wisburn/#/ Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Rivers across north-central and far northeast running are running well below normal through October 12th. Little improvement is expected expected over north-central and central Wisconsin, although the Menominee River may see rises after a heavy rain event on October 13th. Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map valid 10 12 2024 Agricultural Impacts Well below normal rainfall in August and September has led to significant deficits in soil moisture across northern Wisconsin, generally north of Highway 29. Yields from the corn and soybean crop may be reduced slightly due to the recent dry spell. Fire Hazard Impacts There is an increased risk of wildfires across north-central and far northeast Wisconsin, especially days where it is unseasonably mild, windy and low afternoon relative humidity during the latter half of October. Link to Wildfire Potential Outlooks from the National Interagency Coordination Center. Wisconsin Fire Danger Map Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Most of the rainfall on this graphic fell on October 13-14th. Dry weather is expected into the weekend of Oct 19-20th. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Links to the latest Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Outlook. Looking out for the next two week suggest conditions will not improve, but drought is more likely to worsen across portions of central and north-central Wisconsin.