Drought Information Statement for Northeastern Wyoming and Western South Dakota 
Valid August 16, 2024
Issued By: National Weather Service Rapid City, SD
Contact Information:  nws.rapidcity@noaa.gov
This product will be updated September 27, 2024 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/unr/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. 
Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates.
Severe (D2) to Abnormally Dry Conditions extend across all of northeastern Wyoming and most of western South Dakota. 

Hot temperatures continue to exacerbate drought conditions.
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U.S. Drought Monitor
Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota
Drought intensity and Extent

D4 (Exceptional Drought): None occurring.

D3 (Extreme Drought): None occurring.

D2 (Severe Drought): Portions of counties along the Wyoming/South Dakota border and South Dakota/Montana border.

D1 (Moderate Drought): 
Northeast Wyoming: Portions of Campbell, Crook & Weston Counties.
South Dakota: Portions of Perkins, Butte, Meade, Pennington, Lawrence, Custer, Jackson, Oglala Lakota.

D0: (Abnormally Dry): the rest of western South Dakota.

Precipitation: Last 30 Days
Much of the area had below normal precipitation over the past 30 days.

Portions of northeastern Wyoming were significantly below average over the past 30 days.

The lack of precipitation over the past 30 days has begun to impact portions of south-central South Dakota as seen on the 30-Day Percent of Normal Precipitation graphic to the right.



Summary of Impacts
Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter
Hydrologic Impacts 
Most streams and rivers are below normal to normal for this time of the year. Additional information from the USGS may be found here. 

Agricultural Impacts
USDA Crop Progress and Condition reports:  South Dakota and Wyoming. 

Fire Hazard Impacts
Please visit Great Plains Fire Information for the latest fire restrictions. 

Other Impacts
Current 100- and 1000-hr fuels are very dry and  herbaceous fuels continue to dry down and cure. Even with ample precipitation the warm-season grasses will struggle to come back.

Mitigation Actions
Rapid City’s annual mandatory water conservation measure continues through August 31.
Gillette’s water waste ordinance continues through October 1.


Long-Range Outlooks
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Temperatures for September are expected to lean toward above average, with much of the area having a 33% to 50% chance of warmer-than-normal temperatures.

Odds favor below average precipitation for September with a 33% to 40% chance of below-normal precipitation. 


Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Drought conditions are expected to further develop or persist over all of northeastern Wyoming and much of western South Dakota.
Links to the latest:
Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook 
Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook