South Dakota is seeing reduced levels of drought severity, though widespread dry conditions are persisting across the state.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows 100% of South Dakota remains abnormally dry or worse. However the range of severe drought is down to 31% — roughly half of what it was last week, and the lowest rate since October.
This comes after much of the region saw snow or rainfall last week.
The level of moderate drought dropped from 100% last week to 89%, while the level of extreme drought fell from 8% to just under 3%.
The worst drought conditions are persisting in the central and southwestern parts of the state.