Extreme drought expands into Mid-Missouri

As the heat wave continues to build across the Midwest, hot and dry conditions have led to a growing drought problem. Following the newest drought monitor that was released early Thursday morning, three Mid-Missouri counties have been upgraded to an extreme drought.

Rain has been hard to come by for quite some time, as stubborn upper-level ridges remain in place across the nation. The ridge works to suppress any chance of lift in the atmosphere, which means hot, sunny and dry days.

While the drought continues to affect the livelihood of many farmers across the state, the public is being asked to submit local drought information to better understand the impacts. This information can be submitted to the Missouri Extension Drought Impact Reporter here.

“This site will be very helpful when it comes to assessing drought conditions and compiling impact reports at the local, county and state level, University of Missouri Extension Climatologist Pat Guinan said.

While the ridge is expected to breakdown next week and bring with it some much needed rain, unfortunately it won’t help alleviate the drought conditions that are affect Mid-Missourians.

“Input from Missourians helps decision-makers gain a more complete and accurate portrayal of drought conditions affecting the Show-Me State,” Guinan said.

In addition to farmers, landowners are also seeing the affects from the drought. With the lack of rain, many yards are beginning to brown. Previously, ABC 17 reported that brown grass isn’t dead, but in fact dormant. You can read more about that here.

The brown grass is leading many to watering their grass to bring the vibrant green colors back. If you are going to water your lawn, there are a few things you can do to ensure you’re going about it at the right way. They are as follows:

– Water in the morning when it is the coolest and the wind is light. This prevents the wind from blowing the droplets.

– You’ll want to avoid watering in the heat of the day, as the water will just evaporate too quickly.

– Water more deeply. It’s recommended that you water long enough that the water can soak six inches into the ground. When you do water, water at least twice a week max.

– Keep the roots moist, and the leaves dry.

– Put mulch around the plants to prevent moisture from quickly evaporating.

“Nobody knows a drought and its impacts better than a person living in it does,” Guinan said. “Your local input and expertise is valued and will provide additional information for the author to consider when assessing Missouri drought conditions and categories.”

Stay with ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather as we continue to track the latest drought conditions and follow us on Twitter @ABC17Stormtrack.