Submitted Photo The red area is rated as being in “extreme” drought. Much of the rest of the state is in the “severe” or “moderate” drought category.

It wasn’t welcome but it was expected. The U.S. Drought Monitor weekly update issued Thursday increased the percentage of North Dakota acres rated as being in extreme drought. The Drought Monitor now says 29.3 percent of the state is in extreme drought. That compares with 25 percent a week earlier.

“Areas of severe drought and extreme drought expanded across eastern Montana, south-central North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota where hot and dry conditions persisted,” says the Monitor.

Nowhere in the U.S. are drought conditions more severe than they are over nearly all of western and southern North Dakota. Severe drought exists from the southern portion of Ward County to the South Dakota line and west to Montana. Crops are withering in the field and pastures have quit growing. The situation is so bad that many cattle ranchers have been forced to sell their livestock rather than pay for hay, if they can find it, to keep cattle fed. More and more farmers are turning their attention from their drought stricken crops to the fine print in their crop insurance contracts.

In some places even water is in short supply as shallow wetlands and stock dams begin to dry up. Topsoil moisture is “short to very short” over 53 percent of the state, according to the Drought Monitor. Montana, especially eastern Montana, is feeling the brunt of the dry conditions as well. Glasgow, Mont., has experienced its driest three month period since 1918.

There are some exceptions in the drought area, but very few. In what the National Weather Service calls “hit and miss” storm activity, rare thunderstorms have produced some spotty but welcome rainfall. Although dry but not included in the “extreme” drought area, some much needed rain was dumped by thunderstorms Wednesday evening in the Towner, Westhope, Harvey and Kramer areas. Rainfall totals ranged from one inch at Towner to 1.75 inches at Westhope.

South of Minot, where conditions are tinder dry, no rain was received as a result of the line of thunderstorms. Furthermore, there’s little likelihood of any change in the near future. Minot’s forecast is for a continuation of sunny and hot conditions well into next week with very little chance of much-needed rain. The 8 to 14-day outlook issued by the Climate Prediction Center on Wednesday calls for well above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation for the state through July 19.

The Minot Airport has recorded a mere 2.71 inches of precipitation so far this year, almost 7 inches less than normal for the region.