Drought Information Statement for Western and Central North Dakota Valid November 25, 2024 Issued By: WFO Bismarck, North Dakota Contact Information: w-bis.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated in January 2025 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. See all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Visit: https://www.weather.gov/BIS/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Visit: https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/?dews_region=41 for regional drought status updates. Abnormally Dry to Extreme Drought conditions are ongoing across western North Dakota. U.S. Drought Monitor Drought intensity and Extent D3 (Extreme Drought): Most of western North Dakota, from Divide County southward through western parts of Dunn, Stark, Hettinger and Adams Counties D2 (Severe Drought): Parts of western into south central North Dakota D1 (Moderate Drought): Parts of western North Dakota through the far south central and southeast D0: (Abnormally Dry): Parts of central and eastern North Dakota Precipitation Below normal precipitation continues to afflict western North Dakota. The good news is that the region is now entering the snow accumulation season, and a near normal snowpack come next spring will mitigate many of the impacts associated with the current drought. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts The USGS stream gages show numerous streams in western North Dakota have streamflow in the low single digits to 24th percentile. If the dry soils persist into spring, this will lower runoff expectations from a given snowpack during the spring snowmelt season. Agricultural Impacts Very dry conditions contributed to the rapid spread of wildfires. Losses to crops, livestock, machinery, farmsteads and outbuildings were reported by local and state emergency management. Fire Hazard Impacts After suffering a significant wildfire outbreak in October, conditions have slightly improved. The risk of wildfires will decrease as snow cover increases. Other Impacts Loss of numerous hay reserves and forage due to wildfires has caused localized hay shortages. Mitigation Actions Burn restrictions are in place for many counties. One should check with their local authorities for specifics in their area. Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture deficiencies exist across most of North Dakota. Recent below normal temperatures in western North Dakota are sending soil temperatures below freezing. Cold soils inhibit infiltration of moisture. This suggests most of western North Dakota will preserve the below normal soil moisture until the spring snowmelt season. Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Colder than normal temperatures are favored across North Dakota during winter (Dec-Jan-Feb), with no strong signal in regards to precipitation. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage The longer term trend of expanding drought conditions will most likely slow down even as drought persists going forward. The next milestone in the region’s drought will be the onset of the snow accumulation season in late November to early December. At that point the impacts will remain largely in suspended animation until the spring thaw.