Moderate drought expands to almost all of Mid-Missouri

Drought conditions have worsened across Mid-Missouri since last week, despite Tuesday’s rainfall. All of Mid-Missouri with the exception of Montgomery and Gasconade counties are in a moderate drought, with much of the state still abnormally dry.

At Columbia Regional Airport, only 0.9″ of rain has fallen since October 1, and we typically pick up 3.03″ by this time of the month on average.

Since September 1, Columbia has received 2.07″, while the average is 6.90″, putting us more than 4″ behind normal.

We’re about 2.5″ below average for the year, due to several rounds of rain this past spring and summer. So far this year, Columbia has received 34.03″, while the average is 36.65″.

Our next chance for measurable rain returns Friday night into Saturday, with 0.5″ to 1″ of rain expected across Mid-Missouri.

The latest precipitation outlook from the Climate Prediction Center shows above average precipitation for Mid-Missouri into early November.