Latest Drought Information for Wisconsin (Updated 11/21)

Key Points:

• Portions of central and east-central Wisconsin no longer in any drought category. 

• Severe Drought (D2) now only persists across Vilas, eastern Oneida and far western Forest counties with the remainder of northern Wisconsin, generally north of a Wausau to Green Bay to Sturgeon Bay line in Abnormally Dry (D0) or Moderate Drought (D1). 

• The Climate Prediction Center 6-10 Day Outlook favors a better chance for below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation.   

Discussion:

After a very wet start to the summer, drier than normal conditions returned in August to portions of northeast Wisconsin. Locations north of Green Bay missed out on the heavy rainfall during August. The dry weather expanded across much of the area with many locations receiving between 0.50 to 1.50 inches during September, although some totals across central Wisconsin were close to 3 inches. Rainfall for September was around 20% of normal at Oconto and Washington Island. In matter of fact, the rainfall total at Washington Island for August and September was only 16% of the long term normal rainfall. 

September ended at most locations as one of the top ten warmest Septembers on record with an average temperature from three to five degrees above normal. The warm and dry conditions have continued through most of October, with Severe Drought (D2) and Moderate Drought (D1) expanding west and southward into north-central and portions of east-central Wisconsin. The drier than normal weather continued through much of October, with a heavy rainfall between 1 and 3 inches across central into portions of northeast Wisconsin on October 30-31. Additional rainfall fell during the first week of November which resulted in improving drought conditions across much of the area, except over far north-central Wisconsin. Since October 29th, two to five inches of rain has fallen across much of the area, with the lowest totals across the far north. The recent rain and snow over the last several days had led to much of central and east-central Wisconsin no longer being in any category of drought. 

View the latest Drought Information Slides and Drought Text Statement for northeast Wisconsin for more detailed information. Drought statements for other areas here.

• Drought Conditions
• Drought Factors and Impacts
• Looking Ahead
• Additional

Drought Conditions

 

 

Link to Drought Portal

Link to Drought Impacts Toolkit

Report drought impacts in your area

 

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Drought Factors and Impacts

 

Note, data in these images are from the current date and may include rain after the Drought Monitor valid time.

28 Day Streamflow Compared to Normal	28 Day Streamflow Compared to Normal
Soil Moisture Percentile

 

Observed precipitation over the past 7 days:

 

30 Day Precipitation Departures	90 Day Precipitation Departures

 

6 Month Precipitation Departures	1 Year Precipitation Departures

 

More detailed precipitation anomalies available on this interactive map.

 

Link to USDA crop info for Wisconsin

Link to DNR Fire Danger

 

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Looking Ahead

 

7 Day Precipitation Forecast

 

Extended outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center:

8 to 14 Day Temperature Outlook	8 to 14 Day Precipitation Outlook
Month Temperature Outlook	Month Precipitation Outlook
Seasonal Temperature Outlook	Seasonal Precipitation Outlook

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Additional Information

 

Report drought impacts in your area.

 

If you have any questions, comments, or drought impacts to report please contact:
National Weather Service Green Bay
nws.greenbay@noaa.gov

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