When Was The Worst Drought In Minnesota?

August 17, 2021.
The U.S. Drought Monitor started in 2000. Since 2000, the longest duration of drought (D1–D4) in Minnesota lasted 146 weeks beginning on August 30, 2011, and ending on June 10, 2014. The most intense period of drought occurred the week of August 17, 2021, where D4 affected 8.07% of Minnesota land.

Is this the worst drought in Minnesota history?

Some degree of drought occurs in Minnesota nearly every year. The 2021 drought was the most severe in Minnesota since at least 1988.

What is the driest year in MN?

The driest multiyear periods were in the 1910s through the 1930s, and the wettest were from the 1990s to the present. The driest consecutive 5-year interval was 1932–1936, and the wettest was 2015–2019.

Has there ever been a drought in Minnesota?

Overview. A major drought overtook Minnesota during 2021, as persistent moisture deficits combined with above-normal temperatures across the state. In some parts of the state, the drought was as serious as anything experienced in over 40 years, though for most of the state it was the worst drought in 10-30 years.

When was the worst drought recorded?

Worst Droughts in Human History: The Dust Bowl Drought (1931-1939) The worst drought that ever hit the United States is the Dust Bowl drought. The Dust Bowl drought is usually referred to as the worst drought that ever hit the United States and the entirety of North America.

Is Minnesota running out of water?

We’re going to run out of water in the metro if we don’t do something about how we’re using groundwater. There are dozens of areas around the state where this is happening. Wells are running dry. Excess nutrients and bacteria are the two biggest drivers in the nation of impaired waters.

How much rain does Minnesota need to get out of drought?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, breaks down the state and country into similar sized regions. For much of the central and northern MN regions, we would need “-12 inches of rain over a four-week period to end the drought. Southern and western areas would need slightly less.

What was the winter of 1988 like in Minnesota?

Nov 16, 1988, near blizzard conditions in northern counties with 11 inches of snow in International Falls. Nov 26, 1988 blizzard struck again over most of the state this time. Winds reached 63 mph at Windom, snow drifts up to 7 ft high. Snowfalls up to 14 inches in east central MN.

What’s the coldest Minnesota has ever been?

-60 degrees
The coldest temperature ever recorded in Minnesota was -60 degrees, in Tower, in 1996. With that record, Minnesota is tied with North Dakota and Idaho for fifth lowest-ever recorded temperature.

What is the most snow ever recorded in Minnesota?

46.5 inches
Minnesota Climate Extremes

Are the lakes in Minnesota drying up?

Using data as of July 20, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said 72% of the state was experiencing severe drought conditions, up 19% from a week ago. While elevated water consumption hasn’t translated into lower water levels in area lakes, the streams and rivers that feed those lakes are starting to dry up.

Was 2021 a drought year?

Drought in 2021 was a continuation of severe drought which most recently expanded in 2020 resulting from a dry 2019-2020 wet season (October-March) and which continued with a very dry 2020-2021 wet season. The unusually dry conditions were accompanied by excessive heat, both in 2020 and 2021.

Did Gooseberry Falls dry up?

It’s gonna look like this. Conditions are also dry at the iconic Gooseberry Falls State Part in Two Harbors, Minnesota. A photo from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources shows the west side of the Lower Falls completely dried up.

What state has the worst drought?

California
More than 92% of California is currently in a state of severe to exceptional drought, one of the highest such shares nationwide. About 46% of the state experienced exceptional drought conditions, the worst possible drought level and by far the highest such share nationwide.

What was the worst drought in US history?

The 1930s “Dust Bowl” drought remains the most significant drought—meteorological and agricultural—in the United States’ historical record.

What is the longest drought ever recorded?

The longest drought identified by this method began in 1276 and lasted 38 years. The tree ring method identified 21 droughts lasting five or more years during the period from 1210 to 1958. The earliest drought recorded and observed in the United States was in 1621.

Can a well dry up in a drought?

As a result, shallow wells are usually more susceptible to drought than deeper wells. Shallow, hand-dug wells, for example, are often the first wells to dry up during drought. Although deeper wells may be slower to suffer from drought conditions, they may also take longer to recover after a drought has occurred.

Are wells drying up in MN?

As severe drought continues across most of the state, residential wells are going dry in parts of Minnesota. The southwest region of the state has been especially hard-hit, making residents and officials scramble to find new water sources as underground aquifers shrink. The problems started late last summer.

How deep are wells in Minnesota?

Wells in Minnesota range in depth from 15 feet to over 1,000 feet. Wells that are drilled very near each other often have similar depths. However, the depth of wells in glacial deposits can vary greatly — even if they are located next door to each other.

Has recent rain helped drought?

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report, released Thursday, shows improvement after a wet December, but the West remains in drought. California just received more precipitation in the last three months of 2021 than it got in the previous year.

How long will drought last?

After a brutally hot and dry 2021, the region is now in the worst “megadrought” in 1,200 years. Climate change is to blame.