MILWAUKEE — Drought conditions in Wisconsin are worsening, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. A new map released Thursday shows most of Southeast Wisconsin is in a moderate drought.
The change is a step up from the unusually dry status the state had earlier this week.
Much of Wisconsin still remains in that unusually dry status, but due to the very little rain we got this week, Southeast Wisconsin has gotten even drier. About 88% of the state is in the unusually dry status, while 25% has been moved to the moderate drought status.
DROUGHT WORSENS -
— Kristen Kirchhaine (@KristenWeather) June 8, 2023
Most of SE WI is now in a moderate drought.
Moderate drought is impacting about 25% of Wisconsin, and abnormally dry conditions now cover about 88% of the state. #wiwx pic.twitter.com/0Cdt2wF810
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, unusually warm temperatures that have reached or exceeded 9 degrees above normal are contributing to the worsening dryness.
Due to the dry conditions, most of Wisconsin has a high fire danger, according to the Wisconsin DNR. Only 16 Wisconsin counties are under a moderate fire danger, and they're all in Northwestern Wisconsin.
When fire dangers are high, burn bans could be put into place but even without them, the DNR recommends residents avoid outdoor burning.
When looking ahead, the drought monitor website says the midwest could get an inch or more of rain from June 8 through June 13, hopefully helping reduce the drought conditions in the state.
TMJ4 meteorologist Kristen Kirchhaine said showers are likely across Southeast Wisconsin this weekend and could linger into next week. She said if the system comes through as predicted, the area could be looking at a good soaking.
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