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Southwest Idaho Remains In "Extreme Drought" Despite Recent Rainfall

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

Despite recent rainfall, southwest Idaho's Treasure Valley is currently experiencing "extreme" drought conditions with most of the state in a "severe" drought. The entire state of Idaho is experiencing some level of drought, with the exception of a sliver of the northern panhandle.

An online project called U.S. Drought Monitor maps the nation's drought conditions on a weekly basis using multiple indices.

The website is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The maps, updated each Thursday with data due in by Tuesday, show most of the country west of the Mississippi River in some level of drought.

Credit droughtmonitor.unl.edu

You can also watch animations of the drought conditions change over time. One of those goes from last June through last week. In the animated timeline, Idaho begins with almost entirely "moderate" drought conditions. You can watch the darker "severe" area spread over most of state through the summer and see the red of "extreme" drought creep up from Nevada in August into the southwest corner of Idaho including Ada and Canyon Counties.

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