Dry and getting drier: What a lack of snowpack means for spring drought trends
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Minnesota is far behind its normal seasonal snowfall. The landscape remains dry and brown in southern Minnesota, while the northern snowpack is rapidly shrinking—setting the stage for potential drought conditions this spring.
Jeffrey Strock, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s Southwest Research and Outreach Center in Lamberton, told MPR News host Cathy Wurzer that conditions have worsened over the past month following an already dry fall.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor for Minnesota, released Thursday, nearly 67 percent of the state is in moderate drought, a 4 percent increase from last week. About 7.5 percent of Minnesota is in severe drought.
MPR News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard said snowfall across central, western, and southern Minnesota is 25 to 50 percent below normal this season. The state typically receives 35 to 55 inches of snow annually, while the Arrowhead region averages 70 to 100 inches.
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A low flood risk is expected in the Twin Cities due to both the lack of snow and dry soil, according to the National Weather Service. Northern Minnesota’s flood risk remains normal to below normal.
Agriculture, fire risk, and wildlife concerns
Strock said that while low flood risk is beneficial in some ways, dry conditions present long-term challenges.
“And that that was actually good for us, from the standpoint of the moisture that the soil gained so that people's, you know, gardens, shrubs, the farming communities and ag had adequate moisture to get through last year's growing season,” Strock said. “But what's different this year is that we went into the fall dry and we really have not come out of that.”
The prolonged dryness raises concerns for farmers, gardeners, and the agricultural industry, along with an increased fire risk. Additionally, dried-up ponds could impact migratory waterfowl.
“This kind of short-term drought is going to have significant impacts, and we’re going to need some rain,” Strock said.
“I don’t want to sound like Chicken Little running around, but if you look back 20 years,” he added, “unfortunately, this seems like it's the new reality. We're going to need to try to adapt to this kind of new situation that we keep facing sort of over and over and over in the last 10 years for sure.”
