SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — We’ve had on and off showers during the day on Thursday and it will last into Friday, though many of the amounts are staying less than a quarter inch.

Moisture was hard to come by in April as many are at least a full inch or more below their climate average for the month. It’s taking it’s toll on the drought and fire danger.

Here’s the latest drought monitor. In South Dakota, it’s improved with no drought in the state and has gone up about 3%.
But, for those that have had drought, it continues or has gotten worse with an increase of 15% of the state in a moderate to extreme drought.

After showers for the first half of the weekend, we’ll have dry skies and warming temperatures. While the warmer temperatures are ideal, the dry conditions will help inflate the fire danger in KELOLAND as dry conditions have prevailed for many in KELOLAND during the month of April. That needed rain will be hard to come by as a blocking pattern sets up.

That blocking pattern is known as an omega block as it resembles the Greek letter omega. These are notorious for dry and warm weather. It tries to set up overhead by next weekend, if not sooner.

So while the dry weather is ideal for planting, if we heat up too much and too soon, it makes getting rain more and more important.