Drought Information Statement for Northeastern Wyoming and Western South Dakota 
Valid December 12, 2024
Issued By: National Weather Service Rapid City, SD
Contact Information:  nws.rapidcity@noaa.gov
This product will be updated January 2025 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.
Recent snowfall has kept drought conditions from expanding.


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): Not occurring.

D3 (Extreme Drought): Portions of Campbell, Crook, Weston, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Custer, Fall River, Oglala Lakota, Jackson, Bennett, Mellette and Todd Counties.

D2 (Severe Drought): Portions of Campbell, Crook, Weston, Harding, Perkins, Butte, Meade, Lawrence, Pennington, Custer, Fall River, Oglala Lakota, Jackson, Bennett, Haakon, Mellette, Todd, and Tripp Counties. 

D1 (Moderate Drought): Portions of Perkins, Meade, Ziebach, Pennington, and Haakon Counties. 

D0: (Abnormally Dry): Not occurring.

Precipitation: Last 30 Days
Overall, precipitation over the past 30 days has been below average.
 
Slightly above average precipitation in November around Rapid City, resulted in a small area of above normal precipitation. 



Summary of Impacts
Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter
Hydrologic Impacts 
Most streams and rivers are now frozen. In ice-free locations, streamflow are below 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
Windy days combined with dry, dead fuels can still cause elevated fire conditions. 

Mitigation Actions
Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information.


Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Drought conditions are expected to persist through the winter.
Links to the latest:
Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook 
Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook